asked the Minister for Local Government the number of vacancies in existing dwellings in Dublin city in (a) 1956 and (b) 1960; and the reason for the increase, if any, in 1960.

65.

asked the Minister for Local Government the total number of new local authority dwellings completed in Dublin city in (a) 1955 and (b) 1961; and the reason for the decline, if any, in building.

With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 65 together. The numbers of vacancies in Dublin Corporation's housing estate in the years ended 31st March, 1956 and 1960 were 794 and 1,605 respectively. The numbers of new dwellings completed by the corporation in the years ended 31st March, 1955 and 1961 were 1,922 and 277 respectively.

The increase in the number of vacancies and the consequential decrease in the number of new dwellings were mainly attributable to the economic difficulties of the 1956-57 period.

Will the Minister now ask his colleagues to tell the truth and to admit that the 1,600 vacancies were in 1960 and that the number was only half that in 1956? Will he further agree that after four years of Fianna Fáil government, only one-sixth of the number of houses were built, due to the disastrous Fianna Fáil administration? The dead hand of Fianna Fáil descended on housebuilding.

I am very well aware of the position and of how it developed. I was a member of Dublin Corporation at the time and during all that period no money was available for housing at all. The corporation ceased the acquisition of sites and ceased planning for house-building. I am also aware that there is complete misrepresentation of the position with regard to vacancies. The corporation were unable to fill the vacancies as fast as the people were running out of the houses at that time.

Surely the Minister understands that it was the dead hand of Fianna Fáil——

It was not possible to fill the houses as quickly as the people were running out of them.

Would the Minister not agree that vacancies for Dublin Corporation houses increased substantially in 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960?

I am aware that it took some three years to correct the disastrous position left by the Coalition Government.

The dead hand of Fianna Fáil descended on house building.

It was so bad that it was not possible to operate the economic programme until 1958.

Deputy L'Estrange is the hookiest statistician imaginable.

Not as hooky as the Minister.

People were running out of the houses faster than they were going in.