Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 8 Nov 2000

Vol. 525 No. 3

Written Answers. - Local Authority Housing.

John V. Farrelly

Ceist:

119 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of applicants on the housing list nationally for 1996, 1999 and as at 1 September 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24708/00]

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

125 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the extent by which he proposes to reduce housing waiting lists in the various local authorities; the impact on such lists on the current years construction programme; if he has identified a time within which it is expected to meet the needs of those now on such waiting lists; if this will necessitate an improvement on the current annual housing construction programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24855/00]

Brian O'Shea

Ceist:

153 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of applicants on local authority housing waiting lists at the latest date for which figures are available; the number of local authority housing units completed during 1999, to date during 2000 and the number expected to be completed during 2000; the number of persons he estimates will be on local authority housing lists at the end of the year 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24781/00]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 119, 125 and 153 together.

The results of the assessment of housing needs undertaken by local authorities at the end of March 1999 indicated a total of 39,176 households in need of local authority housing. The comparative figure for 1996 was 27,427. Informed contacts with local authorities suggest that needs have increased over the last year by around 15%.

In response to the increased level of housing need, I have taken a range of measures to assist local authorities to expand their housing programmes and to expand overall social housing output. This has included the introduction of a four year multi-annual local authority housing programme for the period 2000 to 2003. I have also considerably expanded the voluntary housing programme. In addition, as part of the Government's Action on Housing the Government decided to increase the number of local authority housing units by an extra 1,000 units in each year from 2001 to 2006. I propose to notify local authorities shortly of the allocation of 3,000 of these extra units for the period covering the multi- annual programme up to 2003. The four year multi-annual programme will, therefore, increase from 22,000 to 25,000 housing units. I have also encouraged local authorities to front load their programmes as much as possible to meet the increased level of need. In effect this allows local authorities to commence as many local authority housing projects as they can at the earliest possible time.

The total number of houses completed or acquired by local authorities during 1999 was 3,713 compared to 3,290 in 1998. I expect that completions, including acquisitions for the year 2000, will be in excess of last year's level. I estimate that the overall level of work in progress at the end of this year will amount to over 6,000 units either under construction or in the course of being acquired – by far the highest level of activity under the local authority housing programme for many years.

The Government is fully aware of the increased level of social housing need and priority is being given to tackling this need. The local authority housing programme is, of course, only one of a range of ways in which the needs of households on local authority waiting lists may be met and I am confident that the enhanced multi-annual local authority housing programme, with the increased output from the complementary social housing measures and vacancies occurring in the existing stock, will enable the housing needs of over 10,000 households to be met this year and that the increased social housing output over the coming four years will meet the needs of over 50,000 households. This level of social housing output will impact positively on the number of householders on waiting lists over the coming years.