Vol. 540 No. 1
354 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of applicants on local authority housing lists throughout the country as identified at the time he took office and after the assessment carried out by the local authorities into the issue; the number currently on such housing lists throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20169/01]
360 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of persons on the waiting lists for local authority houses in County Kildare when he came into office; the number currently on such waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20176/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 354 and 360 together.
The results of the statutory 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 previous statutory assessment of housing needs was undertaken at the end of March 1996 and indicated a total of 27,427 households in need of local authority housing. The breakdown of these figures for County Kildare is set out in the following table:
|
Local Authority |
March 1996 |
March 1999 |
|
Kildare County Council |
850 |
1,126 |
|
Naas UDC |
153 |
193 |
|
Athy UDC |
83 |
79 |
355 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the annual cost of rent subsidies which are paid in lieu of housing; if such subsidies will cost in excess of £1 billion within the next five years; the reason such practice has not been replaced by an adequate house building programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20170/01]
I understand that total spending on rent supplements under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme is expected to reach £134 million this year. I do not have information on the estimated cost of this scheme, which is the responsibility of the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, in future years.
A total of £6 billion was included in the national development plan for the provision of social and affordable housing. An additional £1 billion has been provided under the Government Action on Housing of June 2000, bringing the total housing allocation to £7 billion over the period of the National Development Plan, 2000-2006. This major investment will greatly increase social housing output and help to reduce dependence on rent subsidy. There is, of course, a significant proportion of rent supplement claimants whose need is for income support to meet short-term needs rather than, for example, local authority housing.
It is also proposed, as signalled in Action on Housing, to develop a new mechanism involving local authority/private sector arrangements to provide rental accommodation for eligible households who would otherwise be dependent on SWA rent supplementation. This approach will be pursued initially on a pilot basis. However, commencement of pilot schemes has been delayed pending agreement of liaison arrangements with health board CWOs.
356 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his plans to dramatically increase the number of houses to be built by each of local authority in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20171/01]
I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 68 and 82.
Question No. 357 answered with Question No. 353.
