asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state (a) the county boards of health which have prepared and submitted schemes for the sale of labourers' cottages under the Labourers Act; (b) the schemes which have been approved by him; (c) the number of cottages in each county board of health district which have been transferred to the occupiers; (d) the relation which the annuities bear in each county board of health district to the rents hitherto payable by the occupying tenants.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sale of Labourers' Cottages.
As regards part (a) of the question, I have received notification from every board of health that purchase schemes have been prepared under the Labourers Act, 1936, and the following boards of health have submitted schemes, viz., Cavan, Clare, Cork (North), Cork (South), Cork (West), Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laoighis, Leitrim, Limerick, Mayo, Meath, Offaly, Sligo, Tipperary (North), Tipperary (South), Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow. As to (b), the submitted schemes are being examined in my Department. Approval has not been given as yet to any scheme. As to (c), no cottages have been transferred to occupiers as the schemes have not come into force. As to (d), the annuities appear to be based on 75 per cent. of the existing rents except in some abnormal cases which have been the subject of special recommendations by the boards of health.