Phil Hogan
Ceist:326 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment if he will outline the number of local authority houses built in County Kilkenny for each year since 1983.
Written Answers. - Kilkenny Local Authority Housing.
Phil Hogan
Ceist:328 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the serious housing crisis in Kilkenny city and county; if he will outline the steps he intends to take to resolve this crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 326 and 328 together.
I do not accept that there is a housing crisis in Kilkenny city and county. The capital allocation in 1991 to Kilkenny housing authorities for local authority house construction was £1,119,000 compared with the 1990 out-turn of £588,000. In addition, the availability of houses through the occurrence of vacancies in the housing authorities' existing stock, the capital provision for the voluntary housing scheme and the various initiatives in "A Plan for Social Housing", if developed to their full potential by the authorities, constitute a reasonable response to existing housing needs in these areas.
Figures for local authority house completions in County Kilkenny (including Kilkenny city) are included in the 1988 and subsequent annual bulletins for housing statistics, copies of which are available in the Dáil Library.