asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state whether it is intended to introduce proposals for legislation to enable local authorities to provide plots for cultivation in rural areas on the same lines as such plots are provided in urban areas.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Allotments in Rural Areas.
In rural areas boards of health already possess powers under the Labourers Acts to acquire tracts of land for the purpose of providing allotments and some of them have, in fact, provided allotments in past years. The attention of boards of health has been drawn to the necessity for increasing food production in the country and I am aware that increased provision for allotments in the present year is already being made. The facilities for obtaining seed potatoes under county council schemes will be available in the case of rural allotment holders.
Is it proposed to permit boards of health and county councils to provide these plots for unemployed persons on the same terms as they are provided for similar persons in urban areas, namely, no charge but the rent, and the provision of seeds and implements?
It would not be possible to have that done this year. We have asked local authorities in rural areas to try to provide plots at appropriate rents, and then they can avail of county council schemes to secure credit facilities for seeds and manures.
Is it intended generally to put the unemployed in small non-urbanised towns in the same position as they would be in in places controlled by town commissioners and urban councils in respect of these plots?
They will not be in the same position.
What would be the difference? Will they have to pay an economic rent in rural areas and will they then be provided with seeds and manures?
Except in a few cases the position is not the same as in areas controlled by urban councils or town commissioners. Land is more easily obtained. We feel that with the enforcement of the tillage order land in many cases will be more easily obtained in rural areas adjoining smaller towns. The number of unemployed will not be perhaps, as numerous. There may be very few. In addition you have labourers' cottages adjoining these towns where they have allotments. The position has not the same analogy to urban areas. In order to facilitate those concerned we have asked boards of health to try to provide land for those employed as well as those unemployed, where they can get allotments under the Labourers Acts in smaller towns. One of the difficulties about operating such a scheme in the same way has been administration. The Deputy is aware that it is very difficult for boards of health to operate in the same way as urban authorities. The latter are local authorities on the spot, and they can verify the claims of the various people interested.
In the rural areas unemployed people, if they want to come under the county council loan scheme for seeds and manures, will have to provide two solvent securities and repay the loan and interest within 12 months. That makes it awkward for unemployed people to benefit by such a scheme.
It depends on the way the local authorities carry out the scheme. It has not been usual to require two sureties. In most cases one surety sufficed. We have not had any experience that any difficulty was found by the county councils. There has not been very much lost on the schemes and we have not pressed the local authorities, where they exercise reasonable care, and met a loss.
Would the Minister be prepared to allow the local authorities to waive such conditions now?
I would not be prepared to waive the conditions. That is a matter for the county councils.
As the words "rural area" cover a very comprehensive term I wish the Minister to bear in mind what the position is. For instance, there is virtually no difference between conditions in Naas and in Kildare. In the town of Naas a man can get a plot from 1/-, with free seeds and implements, but in the town of Kildare, where there is no urban council, but where the condition of the unemployed is the same, a man will not be able to get a plot on the same terms as the man in Naas. Will the Minister bear in mind the conditions in towns of that size in rural areas?
Where a local authority has agreed to acquire land under the Housing of the Working Classes Acts, and where an inquiry was held some time ago, will the Minister expedite the issuing of an order so that these plots will come into the possession of prospective tenants?
Could not a scheme of that kind be run through by the county committees of agriculture, similar to that for cottage gardens?
Any proposal such as that will be considered.