asked the Minister for Local Government the date on which he received application for sanction for a housing scheme at (a) Dunboyne and (b) Slane, County Meath; and the date on which he gave sanction for same.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Meath Housing Schemes.
18.
A request for my approval to the acceptance of tenders for these schemes was received on 5th February last. My sanction will be issued within a few days.
19.
asked the Minister for Local Government the date on which an application was received from Meath County Council for sanction for the last isolated labourers cottages; and the date on which sanction was given.
Meath County Council's most recent tender proposal for isolated cottages was received in my Department on 29th March last. A decision on these proposals, which are under examination at present, has not yet been given by me. The submission by the council of further information in respect of a number of the tenders is awaited by my Department.
Would the Minister not agree that there has been an unreasonable time taken by the Department to deal with this last application for permission to build the isolated cottages?
There has been a certain delay but I do not think it is unreasonable. There is a lot of this work to be done in the Department and it is being done as speedily as possible.
Surely the Minister is aware that similar type cottages were sanctioned for Meath County Council last fall and that the applications now before him deal with exactly the same type of cottage and the same type of sites. Will he say now if it is a fact that sanction has not been given because there is an attempt to delay the building of these houses? If that is not the reason, would the Minister say what reason there is for the delay?
On the contrary, the urgency to provide these houses is fully appreciated by the Department. As I said, further information has been requested on a number of tenders and the submission of this information is awaited in the Department.