Vol. 494 No. 3
239 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the number of applicants for housing in the Carlow Urban Council area and Carlow County Council area; and the number of house starts in each of these areas to date in 1998. [18239/98]
I am aware of housing needs throughout the country, including those in the Carlow area. The next statutory assessment of housing needs will be carried out by local authorities in March 1999. Guidelines in relation to the carrying out of the assessment will issue shortly to local authorities.
Details of the results, on a local authority basis, of the previous assessment carried out in March 1996, were published in my Department's annual Housing Statistics Bulletin for 1996, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library. A statement showing the number of housing starts authorised for each local authority for 1998, including Carlow County Council and Carlow Urban District Council, is available in the Oireachtas Library.
