Would the Minister agree that if the scope of the SDA loans scheme was widened — by increasing the qualifying limits and loan amounts — and also if some discretion was allowed to local authority officials to work within the terms of the SDA loans scheme, that would be far more practicable than the new HFA loan scheme which at present is causing so much confusion?

The Deputy will agree that the institution of the HFA loan allowed the Government to bring in money from outside, money which would otherwise have had to be raised by loan or taxes elsewhere were we to do what he suggests. This scheme has allowed us to bring in money from outside sources, reap its benefits, and be in a position to offer more people a chance of being housed. The SDA loans scheme, either in its limits, with regard to the capital amount or income limits, whereas useful in its own slot, is supplemented by this new scheme and is complementary to the whole approach to people being housed. Therefore, taking the situation as a whole into account, this is a very useful operation as well as having the SDA loans scheme operative.