asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state what financial assistance, by way of grant or subsidy, it is proposed to make to the Clonmel Corporation in respect of the 18 houses being built on the Delaney's field site; the proposed rent of the houses; and the building cost per cubic foot.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Clonmel Housing Scheme.
Contributions to annual loan charges will be payable at a rate not exceeding 33? per cent. up to a maximum of £350 per house. The rate of interest will be 2½ per cent. and the repayment and subsidy period 50 years. The rent has not yet been definitely determined and until a decision has been arrived at I am not in a position to say what grant, if any, will be payable out of the Transition Development Fund. The building cost is 1/7 per cubic foot approximately.
Will the Minister say why no progress has been made in the last four months in arriving at a decision as to the amount to be paid from the fund to the corporation?
I think the answer to that would be that the local authority has not yet determined what rent is going to be payable.
Do I understand from the Minister that it is entirely in the hands of the local authority to fix the rent?
To answer that question, I would have to say "yes" or "no" as in the case of the question whether one has discontinued beating one's wife or not. After all, one of the conditions on which a grant would be payable from the Transition Development Fund is that the rent charged would be reasonable, having regard to the cost of building and other relevant circumstances.
Is it not a fact that the only matters outstanding, when we discussed this question in July last, were the rent to be charged on the one hand and the amount of money to be made available from the Transition Fund on the other hand? Will the Minister say what the difficulties are which prevented progress being made in the matter over the last four months?
I think the Deputy might put that question to the local authority. The question of a reasonable rent is one as much for them as for me.
Do I understand that the only thing holding up this matter at the present moment is that the local authority has not brought to a conclusion whatever discussions are going on amongst themselves as to the rent to be charged for these houses in Clonmel?
I think it would be reasonable to assume that the principal impediment in the way of arriving at a settlement is the fact that the local authority has not yet made up its mind.
When the Minister said it is reasonable to assume that, is he, from his close connection with the matter, not in a position to say whether that is so or not?
When the local authority makes up its mind I may then be in a position to bring mine to bear on the problem.
In view of the importance of housing, surely the Minister has some responsibility for deciding, if a local authority is delaying for over four months in fixing such an important matter as the rent, which has such a bearing on the future work to be carried out by the local authority in regard to housing?
I am quite prepared to admit that I have some responsibility, but I have not all the responsibility and I have not the primary responsibility in this matter.