Vol. 421 No. 4
29 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for the Environment whether over 30,000 fewer houses were built in the five year period to 31 December 1991 as compared to the previous five year period to 31 December 1986; and whether he has any plans to encourage a reversal of this trend.
As the Deputy is, no doubt, aware, figures for house completions in each year are published in my Department's bulletins of housing statistics which are available in the Oireachtas Library. Since 1989, the continuous eight-year downward trend in housing output that had seen completions fall from some 28,900 in 1981 to 15,700 in 1988 has been halted and reversed. I expect completions this year to be in the region of 20,000. There is no reason to believe that the current level of output is, in the aggregate, inadequate. It well exceeds the projected annual requirements contained in the NESC Report A Review of Housing Policy.
