asked the Minister for the Environment if he will indicate for each housing authority the number of housing starts which he expects each local housing authority to have underway by the end of 1988; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

20.

asked the Minister for the Environment the number of local authority housing starts he expects in 1989; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

120.

asked the Minister for the Environment in respect of each local authority area the number of new houses which the State commenced building in the years 1982 to 1988 to date, inclusive.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 20 and 120 together.

The 1989 housing construction capital allocation claims will, in accordance with normal procedures, be sought from housing authorities at the end of 1988. Pending receipt and examination of these claims, it is not possible to say what capital will be available for new starts next year.

Details of the number of new dwellings commenced by each housing authority in the years 1982 to 1987, as returned by each authority, together with estimates of new starts for 1988 are in the form of a tabular statement which I propose to circulate in the Official Report.

House Starts 1982 — 1988.

*Estimated.

I appreciate that the Minister has replied to three questions but we are now into the third last month of the year. Could he tell me from the tabular statement the total number of starts he expects for 1988?

The total number of new house starts this year — and I am taking this from memory as this is a Priority Question——

That will not do. We are taking Priority Questions now.

I think there will be roughly 16,000 new house starts this year.

Local authority houses?

In the private sector there will be about 14,500. As I said those figures are from memory——

We are anticipating Question No. 60. We now come to Priority Questions.