asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he is in a position to state when the cottage purchase scheme for County Dublin cottages will be put into operation; the number of schemes submitted from the Dublin County Council; and the date on which it is expected that those schemes will be approved by his Department and applied to the tenants.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cottage Purchase Scheme (County Dublin).
Three schemes for the sale to tenants of 3,050 cottages provided in the Dublin county health district under the Labourers Acts are already in operation. Considerable difficulty has been experienced in connection with the registration of the titles of the local authority to cottage plots owing to the absence of records relating to most of the earlier plots acquired by rural district councils, but I understand that all the requisite maps and information required have been obtained and that vesting in the county council is now proceeding.
Before vesting cottages in tenants local authorities are required to place these cottages in good repair and sanitary condition. The general cottage repair programme has been retarded owing to the shortage of materials. The position in this respect is likely to improve very soon.
With reference to these 3,050 tenants with regard to whom he says the cottage purchase scheme has been put into operation, can the Parliamentary Secretary tell me that, according to the Act, these 3,000 tenants have had their rents reduced by 25 per cent. and that they have been handed over their cottage in proper repair?
I could not tell the Deputy that.
That is what I want to know.
If the Deputy puts down a further question, I will answer that question for him.