asked the Minister for the Environment if he is satisfied that mortgage facilities are available to cope with numbers of applicants to building societies at present.

The availability of mortgage finance from building societies depends mainly on the net inflow of new funds to societies. In the last six months, the inflow of new funds to societies has been extremely high—more than double that in the previous six months.

Notwithstanding these high inflows, the demand for mortgages has, I understand, continued to exceed the amount available for lending. In consequence, most societies have had to reintroduce restrictions to varying degrees. For this reason, amongst others, the Government have requested the societies to continue for the present to apply the constraints on loan approvals introduced in August last. I might add that the current overall position will be reviewed at a meeting arranged for the 17 of this month between representatives of the Irish Building Societies' Association and officials of the Departments of Finance, Environment and Economic Planning and Development.

In the context of the available facilities for people seeking mortgages is the Minister aware that, despite the fact that more funds are available to building societies, the Economic and Social Research Institute's recent study on housing indicates that there are less mortgages available, in number, for people on lower incomes than there have been? In other words, the trend has changed and there are fewer mortgages but larger ones at the upper end of the social spectrum. Does the Minister consider that a healthy development?

I do not know at what time they came to that conclusion.

It is in the study the Minister purported to have read yesterday.

I am not certain when they actually compiled that, whether it was last year or the year before. A lot of what is contained in the report is very vague and their recommendations are equally vague. With regard to making more moneys available, the Deputy is fully aware that 60 per cent of the loans are now under £13,000 and a further 20 per cent are under £16,000. That must mean more loans are available since last September and that is continuing at present throughout the big societies. The only variation is that one of the big societies is not observing the CRV requirement as the others are at present. In order to overcome that difficulty and to strengthen the laws which I would have to use to insist on that being done, I have included a provision in section 20 of the new housing Bill to give me the necessary power to ensure that all building societies do so.

Am I right in assuming that what the Minister is saying is that he considers a clear statement in the ESRI study is not in accordance with the facts as known to the Minister? The Minister used the word "vague" in relation to the study. I do not understand that.

The recommendations were quite vague. There are other studies that might be more relevant because there seems to be a lot in common between that study and certain other studies that came out before it.

Does the Minister accept that there has been a marked change in the trend in relation to the giving out of mortgages?

Since last September more mortgages would have become available because of the insistence on the limits.

Arising out of the Minister's reply that the amount of funds coming into the building societies over the last six months has increased substantially, would the Minister be in a position to state whether this has tailed off considerably in the last two or three months?

That is a separate question.

On a point of order, the Minister in his reply specifically stated that the flow of funds into the building societies over a six-months period——

This is a comment which is frequently being made regarding what Ministers say. Any supplementaries should be only for the purpose of elucidating the information given on the original question irrespective of what the Minister may say in his reply.

I am prepared to answer the question to give the Deputy some idea——

It must be good news.

Wait and see. From November 1978 to April 1979, inclusive, the net inflows of new funds to societies was extremely high, of the order of £110 million, by comparison with the six-month period prior to that, May to October. For the next six months we have to await the next report.

Is the Minister aware of newspaper reports last week that building society regulations have been very much restricted in the last few months and that the requirements are now much greater than they were a few months ago?

I dealt with that in my reply. Some of them had to reintroduce restrictions because of demand.

None of them can get local authority loans.

Will the Minister not accept that an increase is overdue in the SDA loans because the SDA loan is not sufficient for a lot of people and they have to go to building societies?

The argument must cease.

I have increased the upper income limit from £3,500 to £4,000 to bring in people at the bottom end.

What about the loan figure?

Arising out of the Minister's reply——

Question No. 17.

——would he not agree that the postal dispute had a detrimental effect on the flow of funds by contributors and depositors throughout the country?

I would not agree.

Is there a recession?

I have called the next question.