Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:188 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment the plans, if any, he has for the resolution of the housing crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Housing Needs.
The Government's plans for responding to housing needs are set out in the Programme for a Partnership Government. The programme states clearly that the aim of all the Government's policies will be to reduce pressure on local authority waiting lists to the greatest extent possible. In particular, the Government is committed to speeding up implementation of the Plan for Social Housing and to making a much more substantial provision for local authority housing. Thus the local authority housing programme is being expanded to 3,500 "starts" or acquisitions in 1993 and the necessary financial provision for this is included in the Estimates for Public Services, 1993. Additional resources are also being provided for the other measures introduced in "A Plan for Social Housing".