I gave notice that on the motion for the adjournment I would raise a question with regard to the rate of progress made in giving effect to the provisions of the Housing (Gaeltacht) Act. As Deputies will remember, the Act was passed before the Christmas Adjournment of 1929. In all parts of the House there was agreement as to the necessity for it in view of the bad state of housing generally in the areas affected. It was stated by the Minister at the time that the sum of £250,000 would be ear-marked for the purposes of the Act. During February and March of last year tens of thousands of application forms were printed, and a great deal of interest was taken in regard to the Act in the Gaeltacht areas. On this day week I asked a question as to the progress that was being made in putting the provisions of the Act into operation. I was informed that up to 31st January there were 11,520 applications received for grants under it, that the number of inspections made was only 1,508, while the number of applications actually sanctioned was only 369, for which a sum of £34,260 10s. was ear-marked. I also asked the Minister if he could state the number of cases in which the work of building had actually commenced. The Minister was not in a position to answer that, but he did say that in 76 cases sufficient progress had been made to qualify for instalments of the grant, and that the amount so paid out— presumably to the 31st January last— was £2,069.
It was admitted, as I have said, by Deputies in all parts of the House that there was great urgency for this Act. Yet twelve months after its passing we have the statement from the Minister that the actual number of cases in which grants have been paid is only 76, while the total amount of money paid out is only £2,069. There were inspections made in 1,500 cases, so that the remaining 10,000 applicants have got nothing except the usual sheaf of circulars. This Department seems to be almost as prolific in the production of circulars as the Department dealing with the Dáil Loan. The position is that these 10,000 applicants have not had their applications dealt with. An inspector has not visited them. They do not know what is going to happen their applications. In this respect it may be no harm to look back to the debates that took place when the Housing (Gaeltacht) Bill was under discussion here. I find in Vol. 32, column 1632, that Deputy Aiken asked: "Has the Minister any time limit set for the expending of that money?" The Minister for Lands and Fisheries replied: "That is a rather difficult question to answer. I should say, considering all the examinations that will take place, and so on, that it will take three years to expend the whole of the £250,000."
That was the Minister's conservative estimate. Protests were made against the Minister's statement that it should take three years to spend the money. The Minister replied: "I am merely making my own estimate," and later said: "It may be speeded up. As far as we are concerned, it may be taken that we will speed up that work as far as it is humanly possible." In column 1634 of the same volume the Minister is reported to have said: "I hope that a considerable amount of money in connection with the Bill will be spent in this financial year"—that is, the financial year 1929-30. "I cannot give any guarantee that all the money will be spent. So long as I have the feeling that it is being spent wisely, and that we are dealing with the persons with whom I want to deal, the more quickly the money is spent the more I will like it. A sum of £250,000 will be made available by the Government. If we are able to spend it quickly, well and good; but I want to make sure that we are going to touch the persons I have set out to deal with."
[An Leas-Cheann Comhairle took the Chair.]