asked the Minister for Local Government whether he has received representations from the tenants of houses in Chapel Lane, Longford, now paying about 2/6 a week rent who are to be transferred to new houses renting at 10/7 weekly, including rates, to the effect that their average incomes do not admit of paying such a rent and asking for a further subsidy in order to enable the rents to be economic; further, whether he is aware that the addition to the Longford urban rates necessary to provide a rent subsidy would impose a heavy burden upon the town's finances.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Longford House Rents.
A scheme of 24 houses is at present nearing completion at Chapel Lane, Longford, the estimated average cost per house being £938. Rents have been fixed at 7/- a week, exclusive of increase in respect of rates. It was represented some time ago by the local authority that the rents for new houses might be beyond the capacity of prospective tenants and the local authority was informed that consideration would be given to an arrangement by which the tenants for new houses would be recruited from amongst existing local authority tenants, and the vacancies thus created filled by persons displaced from unhealthy houses. As there is no question of revising the rents already sanctioned for the new scheme, the last part of the question does not arise.