asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if his Department is aware that, in the construction of the tail race at Ardnacrusha in connection with the Shannon scheme, the house of Mr. John O'Brien, Parteen, will be knocked down and whether he will take immediate steps to have alternative accommodation secured for him in that district.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - PARTEEN RESIDENT'S HOUSING ACCOMMODATION.
The facts are as stated in the first part of the question, except that Mr. O'Brien is only a weekly tenant of the house mentioned. I have no power to provide alternative accommodation when a dwellinghouse is required for the purposes of the Shannon development, but only to pay compensation in money for such loss or damage as may be suffered by the various interests in such property.
Mr. HOGAN
Is the Minister aware that this man has been for 12 consecutive years in the one job in that district, and although he is only a weekly tenant has been 32 years in possession of this house? Has he considered what value compensation will be to that man, seeing that he will have to leave the district and leave his job?
Arising out of that supplementary question, might I ask the Minister if he is aware that the Labour Party invariably opposed a more detailed examination of the Shannon scheme under which a matter of this kind could have been investigated and provided for in advance?
In reply to Deputy Hogan, I am inclined to believe that the facts are as mentioned, but I cannot say they are so fresh in my mind that I can be quite accurate. The difficulty is that if alternative accommodation were to be provided it would be for the owner of the house and not for O'Brien, as tenant, and it would be impossible to provide alternative accommodation and have a clause insisting that he should give O'Brien the same tenancy with him in the new house as he has with him in the old. At any rate, even if he did give such a pledge, he could terminate the tenancy on a week's notice. It is an admittedly hard case. It is not likely, however, that there are very many cases arising where house property is being commandeered, and I think it is a case which could be better dealt with by the officials dealing sympathetically with this type of case. When I say that I may, however, point out that sympathetic treatment of such a case might be questioned afterwards by the Comptroller and Auditor-General and it will be within very narrow limits I am afraid. In reply to Deputy Cooper, I do not think there was ever any suggestion of an examination of this type of detail in any postponing motion that came before the Dáil in connection with the Shannon scheme.
Was there not a suggestion that a Committee analogous to a Private Bill Committee might be set up which would investigate claims of this kind?
There were no claims of this kind ever mentioned. Nobody knew where the line of the canal was to be, and nobody had any idea what houses were going to be commandeered.
If there had been a Committee analogous to a Private Bill Committee it would have been necessary to have plans submitted and individuals would have known in that way.
By no means, because there are always variations allowed even in plans before a Private Bill Committee. A slight variation here might have saved the house.
Mr. HOGAN
Will the Minister send one of his sympathetic officials down to consider sympathetically the position of this man at an early date?
I would not like to enter into any discrimination with regard to officials being sympathetic or not.
Mr. HOGAN
I suppose it would be hard to get a sympathetic one.