I am aware that some local authorities have entered into joint venture schemes for the construction of local authority houses. Will the Minister encourage greater participation in such joint venture schemes to accelerate the construction of local authority houses and houses that will become available to people who qualify under the local authority housing waiting lists? What action is the Minister taking to encourage local authorities to become more and more involved in joint venture schemes? I am aware there are a few schemes dribbling along but there does not seem to be any great enthusiasm from the Department or from the Minister so far.

It will be accepted what local authorities can do in this area. If it requires me to put pressure on them to expand their activities I shall have no difficulty on that score, but local authorities and their members are well aware of what can be done. Certainly my Department will encourage any authority that wishes to proceed along those lines.

The House recognises the urgent need for the construction of homes for the large numbers of people awaiting them on local authority housing lists. My question is to ask the Minister — and perhaps he would answer it directly — what he is doing to encourage local authorities to involve themselves in joint venture schemes for the purpose of increasing the output of local authority houses?

Encouragement to build houses by my Department, or through pressure from me, is best done by providing adequate sums in the Estimate for the building of houses and certainly also in assuring local authorities that they can put forward proposals, such as the Deputy has suggested, for consideration by my Department when they will certainly receive a very sympathetic hearing. But initially the best we can do is to ensure that adequate money is provided in the Estimates for local authority housing.

In other words, the Minister will sit back and hope that something will happen.

For as long as I am over here I will not be sitting back.