Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 23 Feb 1993

Vol. 426 No. 5

Written Answers. - Local Authority Housing.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

165 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment the total number of housing starts in respect of which funding was provided by him to the various local authorities for each of the years from 1985 to 1993; the way in which these figures compare with his proposals for the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment (Mr. Stagg)

The numbers of houses started by local authorities made under their housing construction programme in each year since 1985 are as follows together with a provisional figure for 1992 and a projected figure for 1993.

Year	Number of Houses Started/Acquired
1985	5,315
1986	2,599
1987	974
1988	731
1989	708
1990	1,274
1991	1,434
1992 provisional	1,300
1993 projected	3,800

The Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to an appropriate long term building programme to reduce pressure on waiting lists to the greatest extent possible over the life of the Government.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

166 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment the percentage by which he expects to reduce the local authority housing waiting lists each year from 1993 to 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

168 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment whether the funding he intends to allocate to various local authorities in 1993 for house construction will reduce the numbers seeking local authority housing throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment (Mr. Stagg)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 166 and 168 together.

The expanded local authority housing programme in 1993 and the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government to an appropriate long term building programme are designed to reduce the pressure on waiting lists to the greatest extent possible over the life of the Government. I am satisfied that the enlarged programme, together with the full development by local authorities of the other measures introduced in "A Plan for Social Housing", will result in a significant increase in the extent to which social housing needs are met. Since a range of social, economic and demographic features influence the number of households on waiting lists at any given time, it is not possible to speculate on what that number might be in 1997.