asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether it is with the sanction or approval of his Department or at his direction that the Urban District Council of Dun Laoghaire have served notices to quit on 483 of their tenants of dwellings; if he is aware that the Council have already obtained ejectment decrees from the District Court against some of their tenants; if he is further aware that the Council are seeking both to increase the tenants' rents and transfer the entire liability of rates to the tenants, and whether he will cause a sworn inquiry to be held into the management by the Urban District Council of Dun Laoghaire of the working class dwellings provided by them under the Housing of the Working Classes Acts, 1899-1921.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - DECREES AGAINST DUN LAOGHAIRE TENANTS
I am informed that the Dun Laoghaire Urban District Council have taken legal proceedings against the tenants of the houses provided by the Council under the Housing of the Working Classes (Ireland) Acts, 1890 to 1921, in connection with the Council's proposal to revise the rents of the houses, and the proceedings form the subject of an appeal to the Circuit Court. My approval is not required in the matter of these proceedings, as the management of houses provided under those Acts is vested in the local authority concerned. It appears from a report made by the Council's accountant in respect of the financial year ended 31st March, 1925, that the rents collected during that year in respect of the 483 houses in question amounted to £4,600, while the loan charges, administration and maintenance costs and rates not collectable totalled over £6,800, involving a loss to the ratepayers in the district of over £2,200 for that year. It would seem unjust for the Council to permit the ratepayers to be saddled with this annual loss of over £2,200 in respect of the artisans' dwellings, while the tenants of the houses enjoy an unrated tenancy at, in some instances, so low a rent as 1/9 per week.
In regard to the latter part of the question, I do not consider there is any necessity for a sworn inquiry. It is understood that the Council made every effort to reach an amicable settlement with the tenants before having recourse to legal action.
Can the Minister say how many of the houses are subject only to 1/9 per week, and can he say also whether it is a fact that the arrangements made for the tenants when entering into possession of those houses was clearly to include the payment of rates in the rent, that is to say, the weekly rental charged was an inclusive one, taking in rates as well?
I am not aware of that.
Will the Minister make inquiries into the whole matter?
Yes, I will make inquiries.
Mr. BYRNE
Is the Minister aware that there is a contract to that effect, and is he aware that under the Rent Restrictions Act, 1923, tenants of working class dwellings have no protection under that Act, according to recent decisions?
These are matters that, I am sure, will receive careful consideration in the courts, but it is obvious that I cannot anticipate judgment in a matter of that kind.
Would the Minister make inquiries as to what the revised rents in the majority of cases are? If he does, I think he will find that in some cases they are from 12/- to 14/- more than the originals.
I could not agree to that.
Mr. BYRNE
Is it not a matter for the Government to see that protection for working class dwellings such as these is given, and for which the Bill of 1923 was introduced?
The Bill was not introduced for the purpose of facilitating people who are not prepared to pay their rents, and there are quite a number of those people not prepared to pay their rents.
Will the Minister say how many are in arrears?
I have not got the information.
Is the information from which the Minister has spoken of that very general kind which the Minister now suggests, that a considerable number of those people are not prepared to pay their rates or rent, because my information is to the contrary?
There are people who pay neither rates nor rent.
Mr. BYRNE
Is the Minister prepared to fix a fair rent for these people?