Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 27 Apr 1999

Vol. 503 No. 6

Written Answers. - Local Authority Housing.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

206 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of housing units required to meet the housing need of the public sector; the number of houses which will become available in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11046/99]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

207 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the extent, if any, by which the number of persons on housing waiting lists have been shortened in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11047/99]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

208 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of persons on the public housing waiting lists in the local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11048/99]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 206, 207 and 208 together.

Local authorities carried out their statutory assessments of housing needs on 31 March last and authorities have been asked to forward a full analysis of their assessments to my Department by 31 May. The assessment of need will provide accurate data on the extent and nature of housing needs in each local authority area.

It will take some time to obtain returns from all 90 local authorities and to ensure that they are comprehensive and complete. However, I expect to be in a position to have the results published in my Department's housing statistics bulletin for the September quarter and I will ensure that copies of the bulletin will be placed in the Oireachtas Library.

The local authority housing programme, together with the output from the complementary social housing measures and vacancies occurring in the existing housing stock, enabled the housing needs of some 8,500 households to be catered for in 1998. I expect that the needs of more than 10,300 households will be catered for in 1999.