asked the Minister for Finance whether, in view of the serious shortage of housing accommodation in Dublin, he will take steps to prevent Government Departments and other public or semi-public bodies from encroaching, by purchase or in any other way, on the limited amount of dwelling accommodation available in the city.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing Accommodation in Dublin.
In providing for the essential requirements of the public services every effort is made to minimise interference with dwelling accommodation, but it would be quite impracticable, in present circumstances, to adopt the Deputy's suggestion.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary say whether any cognisance has been taken by his Department of the purchase by an official body of a series of residential flats in the city, and whether he has considered, in conjunction with the Minister for Local Government and Public Health to whom I originally addressed the question, the effect of that on the very shocking housing shortage there is in the city, and the great distress it is causing to numbers of people?
Naturally, we consider the result of our intervention in a case such as the Deputy has in mind, but we cannot give an assurance, where we are vitally in need of accommodation, that we will not go in and purchase.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary say whether he has considered at all whether a new body such as Bord na Móna might not have got its new quarters otherwise than by simply grabbing a considerable amount of residential capacity within the city?
That is another matter.
I am asking the Parliamentary Secretary if he will consult with the Department of Local Government in connection with this matter and take into consideration the position that we have in this city where a large number of students as well as old residents of the city have been forced out of their normal lodgings because of this condition of shortage of accommodation in the city?
No day passes on which there is not some consultation in regard to this difficulty of accommodation. I can only say that every effort is being made by the Department, in endeavouring to secure our minimum requirements, not to interfere with the general housing accommodation which we all admit is limited enough.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary say whether it has been considered at all that a new body like Bord na Móna might not have been housed outside the city?
I cannot say if that particular question has been considered. At first sight, the suggestion would not appear to me to be a practicable one.