asked the Minister for the Environment if he will indicate in respect of each local authority (1) the number of people on each housing list; (2) the number of applicants on each housing list; and (3) the number of dwellings it is proposed to construct and complete in the year 1978 in each area.

2.

asked the Minister for the Environment if it is the Government's intention to accelerate the local authority housing drive in Dublin and other urban areas to meet the serious need which exists.

I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together and to circulate with the Official Report a statement showing the numbers of approved applications for rehousing which local authorities had on hands at 30 September 1977 and the approximate numbers of persons included in these applications at that date.

It is not possible at this stage of the year to give information about the number of dwellings which it is proposed to construct and complete in each area during 1978. The number will depend on the level of the allocations which will be made to local authorities during the year. The capital allocations for local authority housing in 1978 in individual areas cannot be decided until all claims from local authorities for finance in respect of work in progress and new schemes proposed for commencement have been submitted to and examined by my Department.

It will however be the Government's aim to maintain activity on the local authority housing programme at a high level in 1978 so that priority can be given to meeting the most urgent housing needs, including those of the Dublin area, and to ensure that a high level of employment continues on the programme.

Following is the statement:—

Approved applications for local authority housing on hands at 30 September 1977.

NOTES: 1. The figures in the table relate to approved applications on hands of local housing authorities.

2. The required information is not available in the Department in respect of the housing authorities marked with an asterisk (*).

3. The figures for Dublin Corporation and Birr Urban District Council relate to the position at the 31 October 1977 and 31 December, 1977, respectively.

4. The figures in column (5) of the table are approximate since they have been extrapolated from the available data in the Department which does not give separate details of the small number of families comprising eight or more persons on approved lists.

Did the Minister say that in the tabular statement he will provide information in relation to the number of applicants on each housing list?

Yes, in the tabular statement there are figures of the number of approved applications and the approximate number of persons included in approved applications.

Is it not possible for the Minister to state the number of local authority dwellings it is proposed to construct? I understand from his reply that he is not in a position yet to give the information because of the finalisation of the capitation figures in regard to each local authority.

We have nearly completed that side of it and in the near future I will be in a position to give the required information.

Will it be in order for me to put a question to extract that information when it becomes available —that I will not be subject to the six month rule?

It will be in order.

The Chair will decide whether it will be in order.

Is it not the case that the commitment to accelerate the housing drive is in total conflict with the Government's policy in the White Paper? I refer to the statement on page 42 to the effect that the rate of increase in output in 1979 would be less than that for 1977. Does the White Paper not commit the Government to this, and I quote, "The level of activity in the local authority housing programme and/or the extent of Exchequer subsidies will have to be subjected to continuous critical review"? Does that not clearly imply a depression in that development rather than what the Minister has just said?

This is my first year in the Department. I would expect the Department always to have this under critical review.

Why refer to it now unless——

This is argument and we have no time for argument.

I am trying to elicit whether the Minister's statement is consistent with the policy in the White Paper. It seems to be in total conflict. He said housing output——

The answer I gave is that it will be the Government's aim to maintain activity in the local authority housing programme at a high level in 1978 so that priority can be given to meeting the most urgent housing needs, including those in the Dublin area, and to ensure that a high level of employment will be attained in the programme.

Therefore, the White Paper is in conflict with the Minister.

Put down a question about the White Paper.

3.

asked the Minister for the Environment if it is the Government's intention to ensure the maintenance and improvement of local authority rented accommodation in terms of standard, supply and access.

As regards the standard of new local authority housing, I would refer the Deputy to my reply to his Question No. 22 of 3 November last in which, inter alia, I informed him that the Government's aim in both the private and public housing sectors is to ensure a high quality of construction and environmental standards. With regard to the supply of new local authority rented dwellings, I would refer the Deputy to my reply today to his Question No. 2 and Deputy Quinn's No. 1 about the anticipated level of output of local authority dwellings.

As regards access to local authority rented accommodation, eligibility for rehousing by local authorities is governed by the authorities' approved schemes of letting priorities. Access to dwellings in the physical sense is determined by the construction and environmental standards to which I have already referred.

On the question of existing local authority rented accommodation, this is primarily the concern of each local authority who are responsible for the maintenance, improvement and management of their housing estates. For this purpose the authorities may retain their income from rents and miscellaneous receipts and 60 per cent of the proceeds from sales of their houses to tenants.

Would the Minister elaborate on the question of access, particularly in reference to Government policy in the White Paper in which it is stated that it is intended to examine circumstances of housing applicants in more detail to determine priority needs? Would he explain the greater degree of scrutiny that will come about in regard to housing applications?

On the question of access, I presume the Deputy is referring to eligibility for local authority housing. Eligibility will continue to be governed by the criteria in each local authority scheme of letting priorities specified in section 60 of the 1966 Housing Act. These include unfitness, overcrowding, medical reasons and so forth of applicants who are unable to rehouse themselves from their own resources.

That does not answer the question I asked. I should like to know if the omission of any reference to maintenance of local authority dwellings from the White Paper is indicative of the Government's thinking with regard to the future question of local authority housing?

That is not a relevant supplementary and the Minister may not answer.

I submit it is relevant to the question——

That is enough.

In view of the statement in the White Paper, will the Minister indicate the financial criteria —whether it is his intention to propose that the system of letting priorities be altered so that financial criteria would be introduced in relation to eligibility?

On the question of eligibility, it is the business of the particular local authority to allocate houses under the existing Act.

That has been my understanding. I am therefore perturbed by the Minister's reply which does not seem to square with the specific statement published by the Government the effect of which is that, in addition to the normal set of criteria of any housing authority, there is to be a new element of financial criteria. Has he any plans to change the priorities with regard to lettings?

On the question of criteria in the Act, they can be amended from time to time depending on proposals which come back from local authorities.

I fully appreciate that. What I am trying to find out, with difficulty, is whether the Minister has any proposals to implement the housing policy outlined by the Government.

At this moment I have no proposals.

Is the Minister aware that in the Coalition-dominated Dublin Corporation many of their members are against certain types of maintenance, such as painting of houses by local authority tenants?

Deputy, this question does not arise.

Is the Minister also aware that in the Coalition dominated Corporation the priorities are set by——

I am calling Question No. 4.

——the Housing Committee on which they have a majority? The Deputy is slandering the Minister. He was on the council long enough.