THE MILLION POUND GRANT OF 1922

Chuir an Rialtas Sealadach* £1,000,000 ar leataobh mar cheann de na chéad gníomhartha chun tógail tithe a spreagadh i 1922. Ba chomhartha tábhachtach é seo go raibh feabhsú ar thithíocht uirbeach níos tábhachtaí ná aon rud eile. Mar thoradh ar an leithdháileadh seo, tógadh timpeall 2,100 teach ar bhonn náisiúnta, an chuid is mó dóibh laistigh de dhá bhliain.

One of the first acts of the Provisional Government in 1922 was to set aside £1,000,000 to encourage house building. This was an important signal that improving urban housing was a key priority. This allocation resulted in the construction of about 2,100 houses nationally, most within two years.

Houses completed at Ballytivnan, Sligo, under the million pound grant. Note the original roof tiles. Courtesy of Aifric Sherlock.

Cartoon from Dublin Opinion in 1922 referring to the Free State’s million pound scheme.

The Irish Free State came into existence at a time when housing provision was a major concern for its citizens. This was particularly the case in the cities and smaller towns where there had been almost no building since the outbreak of World War I. One of the first acts of the Provisional Government was to set aside money to encourage house building. The first mention of a ‘million pound grant’ for housing was made by W.T. Cosgrave in January 1922. This was a signal that the fledgling state would immediately seek to address the housing issue.

The grant only applied to housing in urban areas, as it was felt that a ‘catch-up’ with rural housing was needed. Urban local authorities would receive a grant to cover two-thirds of the cost of house construction. In order to fund the remaining one-third of the costs, each authority would have to introduce a special housing tax of at least 1s. in the £ and take out a short-term loan. 71 local authorities (three-quarters of all local authorities in the Free State)

built housing under this ‘million pound scheme’. While the scheme kick-started building across the country, the overall number of dwellings completed was very small. Only about 2,100 four- and five-room houses were completed at an average cost of £570 and £600 respectively.

Affordability was a major issue for housing providers. To cover the high costs of the short-term loans required to complete the schemes, councils had to charge high rents for the houses. Many tenants complained they found it ‘impossible to pay these rents’ and petitioned to have them reduced.2 Given these circumstances, some local authorities chose to sell these houses for cash, the profits from which could then be used to provide further housing.

‘Million Pound’ houses, Dublin Road, Nenagh. Eight houses were completed for rental in 1925.

Houses at Fairbrothers’ Fields built under the Million Pound Grant.

Detail of houses at Fairbrothers’ Fields. Although the year 1922 is prominently displayed on the houses, most were completed in 1923 and 1924.

*The Provisional Government was the transitional administration in the period from 16 January to 5 December 1922, before the Free State formally came into existence.

**John Jinks TD, Dáil Éireann, 28 July 1927.