asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he can state what local authorities have adopted and are exercising their powers under the Small Dwellings Acquisition (Ireland) Acts, 1899 to 1919, as amended by subsequent Housing Acts; the number of houses in the area of each such local authority in respect of which advances have been made under these Acts, and whether he is prepared to use his influence with all local authorities to secure that persons desiring to obtain advances will be afforded the maximum facilities authorised by the Acts.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - The Small Dwellings Acquisition (Ireland) Acts.
The following local authorities have adopted and are exercising their powers under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts, 1899 to 1919, as amended by subsequent Housing Acts:—
County Borough Councils:—
Cork, Dublin, Limerick, Waterford.
Borough Councils:—
Clonmel, Drogheda, Dun Laoghaire, Wexford.
County Councils:—
Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Offaly, Tipperary North Riding, Tipperary South Riding, Wexford.
Urban District Councils:—
Ballina, Bray, Ennis, Galway, Granard, Howth, Tullamore.
The information asked for in the second part of the question is not available, but will be collected with the annual housing statistics at the end of the current financial year.
I have already urged local authorities to put in force the provisions of the Acts and I have issued memoranda explaining fully the procedure to be followed in the making of advances to persons purchasing or erecting houses for their own occupation. It will be appreciated, however, that the amount of the advance to be made is, subject to the statutory maximum, a matter within the discretion of the local authorities.
While it is the case that the local authorities have discretion as to the amount of the maximum grant that may be made, I should like to remind the Minister that in a preliminary statement he made in this House, prior to the introduction of the Housing Bill, 1932, it was hoped that powers would be available under the Small Dwellings (Acquisition) Act, for giving Government grants to persons who had small sums in ready cash, so that they would be enabled to erect houses for themselves but, due to the failure of local authorities to put the Small Dwellings (Acquisition) Act into operation, and to the fact that many of them are not making available to potential borrowers the maximum powers possessed under the Act, that desirable position has not been possible.
What motion is the Deputy speaking to?
This is all interrogatory so far. I wonder if the Minister would again use his influence to induce local authorities to proceed with the adoption of the Small Dwellings (Acquisition) Act, so as to stimulate further housing and building facilities.
I shall be very happy to do anything I can and to use the influence of the Department in an endeavour to get local authorities that have not yet adopted the Act to put it into operation, and also to induce those who have not yet availed of the opportunity to give the maxima in the way of grants.
Can the Minister state if the list of local authorities that he has read out is a complete list of those that have adopted the Act?
Yes.
Have you read out Roscommon County Council?
No.
Then it is not complete.
It is so far as we have records in the Department.
Roscommon County Council should be there.
They never notified the Department that they had done so.
They did.