Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 3 Jul 2001

Vol. 540 No. 1

Written Answers. - Local Authority Housing.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

108 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will declare a housing emergency with a view to meet ing the needs of those on the waiting lists of the various local authorities throughout the country; if he will bear in mind that some families are on such waiting lists for ten years or more; if he recognises their plight; if he will give directions to the local authorities with a view to securing a tangible response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19896/01]

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

I refer to the reply to Questions Nos 68 and 82 on today's Order Paper where I indicated the extent to which the Government is committed to greatly expanding social housing output to meet increased needs, the progress which has already been achieved in terms of the highest volume of work in progress on the local authority housing programme in 15 years and the increased output on the local authority and voluntary housing programmes this year.

Information available from the 1999 assessment of housing need indicates that more than two-thirds of households assessed as in need of local authority housing were on the local authority waiting list for less than two years and it remains the case that a significant number of households on waiting lists are housed within two years. Some applicants for local authority housing, however, are on waiting lists for longer periods on the basis that their priority for housing is relatively lower compared with the needs of households who have been allocated housing.