asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state what steps he proposes taking to prevent land in urban centres or contiguous to urban centres being withheld from use as building sites where there is need to use such land for building purposes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Building Land in Urban Centres.
So far as local authorities are concerned there is ample power in the Housing and Labourers Acts for the acquisition of land for building purposes. As regards private enterprise, it is for the persons concerned to make their own arrangements to acquire sites.
The Minister may possibly be aware that a certain number of building societies have accumulated fairly large funds which they will use for housing purposes, but there may be a difficulty in dealing with private individuals owning lands. Will some consideration not be given to granting facilities to such bodies to assist them in acquiring the necessary lands?
I see no reason why such bodies, having funds at their disposal, should be facilitated in acquiring the property of other people.
A point to be considered is that the price of land may be unreasonably forced up.
There is no proof of that.