asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state the reason for the very long delay in dealing with applications for loans under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts as operated for Dublin County Council.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin County Council and Loan Applications.
I am informed by the responsible housing authority that the delays are due to the sudden and unprecedented flow of applications for loans under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts. Delay in disposing of a number of applications has also been caused by the failure of applicants to furnish full information and all necessary legal and other documents with their applications. The position has been under critical examination and every effort will be made to clear the present arrears within a reasonable time and to dispose of future applications promptly.
Would the Minister not agree that the delay is really due to the fact that the particular section in the local authority concerned that is dealing with these applications has been under-staffed for a considerable time, and that, despite the fact that the local authority requested the Department on at least 14 occasions within recent months to sanction the employment of additional staff, such sanction has not been forthcoming? Is it not a fact that for a period of three months the law adviser who deals with this matter under the Dublin County Council had no assistance save that of an inexperienced typist, and that while there was this block about 600 applications had been built up which has created a bottleneck in this very important matter? Will the Minister state what steps are now being taken to secure that these 600 applications will be dealt with expeditiously?
I am not satisfied that the Department is responsible for any delay that has taken place. I am aware that officers of my Department have recently gone into this matter. They have co-operated in every possible way, with the result that two additional legal appointments may be made to co-operate with the legal adviser of the local authority concerned in order to speed up the work. I should also point out that the number of claims to be dealt with has had a very considerable bearing on the matter. Over a period of nine years, up to the 31st March, 1940, the sum of £250,000 was loaned out under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Act, while during the period of the last nine months applications in respect of loans totalling £720,000 were received, to be administered by the staff of the same authority. It must be obvious from these figures that the work was bound to get into arrears. I may say that steps are now being taken to assist the local authority.