Government to cut local authority housing funds by a third

THE Government is to spend €325 million or a third less on local authority housing programmes in 2010 than it did in 2009, it has confirmed.

Last year the allocation for the various housing schemes stood at €1.2 billion.

Housing Minister Michael Finneran yesterday said the €877.5 million allocation for this year would include €391.5 million for the provision of local authority housing allowing councils to complete construction, acquisition or leasing of around 9,000 houses.