asked the Minister for Local Government the amounts paid by way of grant and loan for the building of houses during the first four calendar months in each of the years 1968, 1969 and 1970.

The figures requested by the Deputy are available on a quarterly basis only. As the reply, which relates to the first three months of the years in question, is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:

New-house building

NOTES:—

(1) The figures in column (2) are the amounts of grants for new houses paid by the Department of Local Government and by Roinn na Gaeltachta.

(2) The figures in column (3) are for supplementary new-house grants paid by local authorities.

(3) The figures for loans in columns (4) to (6) do not take into account the value of housing investment financed by personal savings, banks etc.