asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether he is aware that a number of cottages in County Wexford are in urgent need of repair, and that these cottages have been reported to the local authority, some of them as long as six years ago, and whether he will take steps without delay to have the necessary repairs undertaken to render these cottages habitable.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Condition of Wexford Cottages.
asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether he is aware that in the case of a number of cottages in County Wexford which have been repaired, the repairs have proved most unsatisfactory; and whether he will arrange to have these cottages inspected and effective repair work carried out without delay.
I propose to take questions 17 and 18 together. The Deputy has raised this matter of repairs to cottages on several occasions. I had an inspection made by an officer of the Department, in November last, of certain of the cottages which the Deputy considered were urgently in need of repairs. The investigations made extended to 15 cottages. In four cases the repairs had already been carried out, while in seven others building materials were delivered on the site, and arrangements were being made to proceed with repairs. Of the remainder of the cottages inspected, namely, four, no repairs had been undertaken at the time of inspection. The Deputy will understand that inspection of every cottage in a county could not be undertaken by officers of the Department. The work should be undertaken by the officers of the local authority.
On the 12th December, 1941, the Wexford Board of Health were communicated with on the general question of repair of cottages, and it is understood arrangements were subsequently made whereby their engineers would carry out periodic inspections of cottages and submit proposals for the repair of cottages to the board. I am aware that the board carry out repairs to a large number of cottages every year, and I would suggest that the Deputy send to the local authority a list of the cottages which in his opinion require urgent repairs. I may add that my Department has no reason to believe that repairs already carried out to labourers' cottages in County Wexford have been unsatisfactory. However, if the Deputy has any particular cases in mind, I would suggest to him to lay the facts before the local authority.
The Parliamentary Secretary seems to think that I am telling lies?
Not at all.
But he says the cottages are in good order. I may say that I have complaints every week and I have gone to see some of those cottages and they are not fit for human beings to live in. If Departmental officials will come with me, I will show them those cottages. The inspectors go down there, but apparently they are out for a joy-ride. They blow their horns and, if the lady of the house comes to the door, the inspector will say: "Is your cottage in bad repair, ma'am?" and she will reply: "It is, sir." The inspector will say: "I have not time to look at it now—I must get away" and off he goes. It is time that something was done in regard to this matter because the cottages are urgently in need of repair, some of them for a period of years. I am quite prepared to show the inspectors those cottages.