asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state if he has been requested to hold a sworn inquiry into the repeated refusals (since 1941) of the Offaly County Council to sanction applications made for vacant labourers' cottages in the area by Mr. C. Swords, Clonmore, Edenderry, and the letting of such cottages to unmarried men and women who are not qualified to occupy them under existing regulations; if he will state the cost of legal proceedings incurred by the council in recovering possession of one of these cottages let to an unmarried woman in 1941, and what action he proposes to take in this matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Letting of Offaly Labourers' Cottages.
No such request as is referred to by the Deputy has been received by me. The Deputy himself asked for a Departmental inspector to hold an inquiry into the failure of the local authority to provide a cottage for the person named in the question. My information is that this person's present housing accommodation is inadequate. He was recently an applicant for a labourer's cottage but his application was unsuccessful. I have made inquiries in the matter and have been informed that the successful applicant was living in a house in which there were 11 adults and one child. I should like to stress to the Deputy that the letting of cottages is a matter for the local authority concerned who, if the cottages are subsidised under the Housing (Financial and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1932, must allot the cottages in accordance with the preferences laid down by the Housing (Loan Charges Contributions) Regulations, 1938, and they must consider and have regard to a report to be obtained from the appropriate medical officer of health as to the existing accommodation of each applicant and as to the degree of urgency of his need for alternative accommodation. I am satisfied that the regulations were complied with in the allocation of this tenancy. I have no power to review any allocation which has been made in accordance with the regulations.
I am not aware that there were any recent lettings of cottages to unmarried men and women. I have no information as to the cost incurred by the Offaly County Council in recovering possession of a cottage let to an unmarried woman in 1941.
In view of the fact that the Minister does not appear to be in possession of the facts concerning this case, I propose, with the permission of the Chair, to raise the matter on the Adjournment.