Vol. 508 No. 1
588 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his views on the recent ESRI study, The Housing Study, Social Housing in Ireland - A Study of Success, Failure and Lessons Learned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18558/99]
I welcome the publication of the report that was commissioned by the Combat Poverty Agency and the Katharine Howard Foundation with some financial support from my Department. The main aim of the study was to investigate the living conditions and quality of life in local authority housing estates and to identify the implications for housing policy and practice with particular reference to the residents' perspective. The research is based on the experiences of local residents in seven estates, along with the views of key external agencies, including local authorities. The report contains detailed recommendations for the reform of housing policy and practice; work related to some of these recommendations was already in progress prior to the publication of the report. The study underlines the fundamental contribution that local authority housing has made to Irish society over the years and recognises the considerable progress that has been made by many authorities in the management of their housing estates. It finds a considerable diversity in living conditions between and within the estates studied. The report notes that this is attributable more to social factors, notably social order issues, than to housing quality or the physical environment. While problems undoubtedly exist in certain areas, the report acknowledges that many local authorities have improved the management of their housing service and that efforts to manage problems in the local authority housing sector in a positive manner have begun to emerge in recent years.
A copy of the report has been sent to each county and city manager for consideration. Also, I have approved funding to support a conference being organised by the Combat Poverty Agency and the Katharine Howard Foundation in Dublin on 28 October 1999, to consider the issues raised by the report.
589 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government when he will receive an interim report from the commission on the private rented residential sector. [18557/99]
The Commission on the Private Rented Residential Sector has been asked to report to me by 1 June 2000.
590 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Society of St. Vincent de Paul recommended 8,000 new housing starts per year in order to cater for the growing number of people on housing waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18561/99]
Local authorities undertook an assessment of housing needs at 31 March 1999 and the results will be published shortly. The Government has, however, already responded to increased social housing needs by increasing the level of the local authority programme from 3,900 housing starts-acquisition in 1998 to 4,500 in the current year. A new multi-annual programme will commence next year which will be resourced to deliver 22,000 local authority dwellings over the period 2000-2003. I intend to notify local authorities shortly of their housing starts allocations under this programme.
The Government is also committed to increasing output from the voluntary housing sector to 4,000-5,000 dwellings annually over the coming years. Overall, I expect that the local authority housing programme, together with output from the complementary social housing measures and vacancies occurring in the existing housing stock, will enable the housing needs of more than 10,300 households to be catered for in 1999 and that the increased social housing output over the next four years will meet the needs of over 60,000 households.
