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Dáil Éireann - Volume 261 - 31 May, 1972

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing Grants.

118. Mr. Power asked the Minister for Local Government if he will consider the removal of the income limit for qualification for supplementary new house grants.

Mr. Cunningham: The primary purpose of the scheme of supplementary housing grants which are payable by local authorities for new houses is to help persons of modest means to provide their own houses as an alternative to seeking subsidised housing accommodation from the local authority. The income limit is used for this purpose and I do not consider that its removal is warranted.

Mr. Creed: Would the Parliamentary Secretary consider increasing the income limit to bring it in line with present-day costs?

Mr. Cunningham: It has not been very long since the income limit was raised. Consideration is always being given to income limits not only for this but for other purposes.

Dr. Byrne: Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that, for instance, in the Dublin area the income limit is £1,600 but that if a person from the city area applies for a local authority grant his income must be £1,250 plus allowances for spouses and dependants?

Mr. Cunningham: The income limits for local authority grants range from £1,250 to £1,650, depending on the number of dependants. For instance, in the case of a person with four dependants, there would be an increase to £1,650.

Dr. Byrne: Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that one of the main difficulties for a person living in a corporation flat or house in the Dublin area and who wishes to purchase a local authority flat or house which might be situated in the county council area would be that not only would [925] there be this question of a discrepancy between the income limits but there would also be the problem of residential qualifications?

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle: That is a separate question.

119. Mr. L'Estrange asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state for each year since 1948 (a) the amount of new housing grants allocated and (b) the number of houses covered by such grants.

Mr. Cunningham: The information requested is available in my Department from the financial year ended 31st March, 1955 only. As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:—

Financial Year

New house grants allocated

Amount

Number of houses

(1)

(2)

(3)

£

1954-55

1,619,952

6,030

1955-56

1,624,339

5,895

1956-57

1,135,712

4,247

1957-58

653,554

2,504

1958-59

659,426

2,539

1959-60

1,043,732

3,868

1960-61

1,266,352

4,672

1961-62

1,316,105

4,821

1962-63

1,638,466

5,706

1963-64

2,078,700

7,531

1964-65

2,308,527

7,910

1965-66

2,298,957

7,940

1966-67

1,646,171

5,695

1967-68

2,559,639

8,467

1968-69

2,779,028

9,523

1969-70

2,855,152

9,679

1970-71

4,420,054

14,546

1971-72

4,593,462

14,369

NOTE: Column 3 does not include a number of grants allocated for tenant purchase dwellings provided by local authorities between 1967-68 and 1970-71. Details of these grants are as follows:—

Financial year

Number of grants allocated

1967-68

342

1968-69

36

1969-70

90

1970-71

56

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