asked the Minister for the Environment his estimate of current, and anticipated demand for housing in County Dublin over the next four years in the public and private sector; and if the levels of building and renovation will meet the estimated need.

The assessment of local housing needs is a function of individual housing authorities. The most recent assessments carried out by the authorities, including Dublin County Council, were in respect of the five-year period to 31 March 1985 and no formal assessments covering the period beyond that date are available at present. As regards the final part of the question, the position is that the level of housing output in any area is determined by a wide range of economic, social and demographic factors, the relative impact of which may vary from area to area.

In the circumstances, it would not be appropriate for me to speculate as to how the level of output in a particular area might compare in the future with the level of needs arising. On a national level, I have arranged to have a revised and updated assessment of overall housing needs prepared in the light of the most recent economic and social developments and the information becoming available from the 1981 Census of Population.

Will the Minister of State tell the House if Dublin County Council had met the estimate up to 31 March 1984 and, if not, does he consider they will have met it before the end of March 1985?

The projected level was 6,000 houses and they have fallen below that.

What is the figure?

It is 4,600.

Therefore, they are about 1,500 below target. Does the Minister of State envisage giving them additional funds to improve their housing construction and to allow them to meet the estimated figure of demand in view of the long waiting list in County Dublin?

We are not talking about local authority houses only.

I am talking about local authority housing.

We are talking about housing generally. Local authority housing is measuring up reasonably well. In 1980 the figure was 1,600 houses and in 1983 the figure was 1,691. There is no great difference in the figures. Private housing has dipped slightly——

Considerably.

Not considerably. The relevant figure is 400.

Last year we brought to the attention of the Minister the system of renovation grants in Northern Ireland and we asked that it be examined. Has any progress been made with regard to that matter? In Northern Ireland they lay emphasis on renovation rather than the building of new houses.

They are in a slightly different situation. In Belfast many houses were in a state of dereliction, much worse than could be seen in this part of the country. We have a slightly different situation here. We have an ongoing house-building programme that is excellent, although I am not saying that this administration is solely responsible for that.

Will the Minister of State not agree that in the past few years the emphasis here has been on new houses rather than reconstruction? Because of the price of new houses there will have to be a rethink on this matter.

The question refers to house-building in County Dublin.

It also refers to renovation.

Yes, in County Dublin.

Is it not a fact that because of the acquistion of land, planning permission, the issuing of contracts and so on, the figures for 1983 were planned and set out about two years prior to that time? Does that not mean that the cutbacks that have occurred since this Government came to office in November 1982 will not be reflected in house-building until 1985?

With regard to local authority housing, there are no cutbacks. The number of houses constructed will remain much the same, if not slightly higher.

There are cutbacks in the capital programme for this year. The Minister cannot tell the House parliamentary untruths.

Time will prove me right.

Because of the cutbacks this year the housing programme cannot continue at the same rate.

Time will tell.

It cannot be done on the amount of money the Government have allocated. The Minister should not tell the House there is no shortage of money. Because of the cutbacks the programme cannot keep going at the same rate as heretofore.