Vol. 568 No. 5
109 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the reason the figures for rent arrears to local authorities are not available for the year ended December 2002 in view of the rent arrears of more than ?26 million recorded for the year ended 2001. [16616/03]
Local authorities are responsible under the Housing Acts for the management and maintenance of their housing stock including rent collection, which is an integral part of their housing management function. My Department compiles, on an annual basis in arrears, statistical information in relation to rental income and finalisation of data for the year ending 31 December 2002 is currently being pursued with local authorities. The amount of arrears outstanding at the end of 2001 has accumulated over a period of years. However, local authorities are now operating more efficient and effective rent collection and arrears prevention and recovery regimes by adherence to best practice guidelines issued by the housing unit in 2001 and the increased use of information technology. This has resulted in maximising the collection of amounts due. In addition, local authorities measure their performance in this area by reference to a set of agreed performance indicators and publish the results in their annual reports.
110 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the total number of persons on local authority housing lists at the latest date for which figures are available; the way in which this figure compares with the corresponding figure for the equivalent dates in each of the previous five years; the total number of local authority dwellings completed or acquired in 2002; the anticipated number for 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16515/03]
The results of the statutory assessment of local authority housing need, which was undertaken by local authorities in March 2002, indicated that a total of 48,413 households were in need of housing, compared with 39,176 households in March 1999. Detailed information on the results of the 2002 assessment was published in my Department's September 2002 quarterly edition of the Housing Statistics Bulletin, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library.
Local authorities completed or acquired 5,074 housing units in 2002. Details on an individual local authority basis are included in my Department's Annual Housing Statistics Bulletin for 2002. Current indications are that the number of completions-acquisitions in 2003 will be of the order of 5,000 units including output from house completions in Ballymun and under the regeneration programmes. Last year total social and affordable housing activity taking account of new local authority housing, vacancies, output from the voluntary sector and under the other social housing measures, met the needs of over 12,700 households compared to just short of 8,700 units in 2000.
