andMr. Quinn asked the Minister for the Environment if he will indicate the reasons there has been a nett reduction in the capital allocation for local authority housing at a time when there are 33,000 families on the waiting-list for local authority housing throughout the country, consisting of 26,000 approved and 7,000 unapproved; if he is aware that there are approximately four families on the waiting-list for each completed local authority house; and the action he proposes to take in the next year to give some prospect of housing to the remaining three families who cannot expect to be housed at present.

5.

andMr. Quinn asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware that the allocation of capital for new local authority housing is £92.5 million for 1980, and that this represents an increase in money terms of 3.2 per cent over 1979, which is proportionately a larger reduction in real terms to local authority housing than the overall reduction in capital sums available for the housing sector from Government capital expenditure; the reasons local authority applicants carry a higher burden of Government cut-backs than the private sector; and if he will indicate the basis of this policy.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take questions Nos. 4 and 5 together.

The revised capital provision for new local authority housing in 1980 is £101.5 million which represents an increase of 23.8 per cent on the capital provision of £82 million for 1979; and while the actual expenditure by local authorities on new house construction in 1979 was £89.59 million the total authorised expenditure in 1980 is £113.75 million. The total capital provision for housing in 1980 is £202.53 million, an increase of 22.5 per cent on the capital provision of £165.30 million for 1979. As can be seen from these figures there have been no cutbacks in public capital for housing. The latest information available on overall housing needs shows that at the end of 1979 there were 32,519 applications for local authority houses and 25,909 of these had been approved for rehousing; that two-thirds of the approved applicants were families of three persons or less; and that with the provision each year of 6,000 new houses and about a further 3,000 becoming available for reletting through vacancies about one-third of approved applicants are rehoused each year. To imply that three out of four approved applicants have no prospect of being housed is completely irresponsible.

Is the Minister aware that the Government, who took office more than three-and-a-half years ago, produced figures immediately afterwards showing that 78 per cent of those on the housing list were families of three persons or less? Will the Minister admit that the situation now appears to be that it is a crime to have applicants with three persons or less in the family apply for rehousing from a local authority? Does the Minister agree that the prospects of that type of family ever being rehoused for years is slight? Does the Minister agree that because of the tremendous increase in the cost of local authority and other housing over the last three-and-a-half years the amount he has quoted as being an increase in local authority housing is a substantial reduction on the number of houses that could be built?

I do not accept that. As the Deputy is aware there is a difference in the price of housing throughout the country. The Deputy can be assured that since we came to office private development and otherwise——

Stick to local authorities.

I am aware the Deputy does not wish to hear about private development because he let that sector slide. The Deputy can take it that the target we set of 6,000 local authority houses will be reached this year.

I should like to put two questions to the Minister of State and I hope to receive reasonably straightforward answers to them. If the overall expenditure on capital allocation updated from the time the report was published now amounts to 22.5 per cent according to the Minister — I accept those figures — I should like to know the percentage increase for local authority housing capital allocation?

The total capital provision for housing in 1980 was £202.53 million.

Has the Minister the percentage increase?

It was an increase of 23.8 per cent.

Do I take it that the Minister is informing the House that the capital allocation for local authority housing has been increased by 23.8 per cent?

On the capital allocation over last year.

Would the Minister be kind enough to tell the House the number of local authority houses completed for each of the last three years?

I do not have that information but if the Deputy puts down a question I will gladly answer it. The Deputy can take it that we will complete more than 6,000.

I permitted the Deputy to ask a final supplementary and I am moving to the next question.

Does the Minister accept that for each of the last three years the number of houses built has been less than in each of the previous three years?

I am in the hands of the Chair.

The Minister is running from this question. Fewer houses have been built each year than the preceding year.

I am not running away from anything.

The Minister should answer the question I put to him.

Our records can stand up to any scrutiny. The Deputy was not a Member of the House when the previous Government were in office and, consequently I will not say anything to him.

The Minister should answer the next question.

6.