asked the Minister for Local Government the amount collected in rents and rates on local authority housing by (a) urban authorities and (b) County Councils for each of the financial years ending 31st March 1970 and 31st March 1971, stating in each case the number of houses involved.

As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:

LOCAL AUTHORITY HOUSING

NOTES:

(1) The figures for rates are the amounts paid, in lieu of rates, by tenants of local authority dwellings under section 9 of the Local Government (Rates on Small Dwellings) Act, 1928. They are not charges for the houses but for health, roads, etc., services provided by local authorities. They include some small amounts for rates on purchased local authority dwellings.

(2) The figures at (3) and (4) are estimated.

(3) The figures for the average number of dwellings let in 1970-71 in both county council and urban housing authorities' areas take into account estimated reductions in the authorities' dwelling stock due to dwellings vested, sold or lost through obsolescence etc