asked the Minister for Local Government if he has completed his examination into the question of undue increases in the rents of Cork Corporation houses on the death of tenants and on the transfer of tenancies to surviving members of the original tenants' families, other than widows or widowers of deceased, and, if so, whether he is now in a position to have this grievance redressed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Rents of Cork Corporation Houses.
I am not satisfied that there are any grounds for dissatisfaction with the system adopted by the Cork Corporation in circumstances where the tenancy of houses is transferred to surviving members of the original tenants' families other than widows or widowers. As the Deputy is aware, the revised rents of these houses are determined on a differential basis varied in accordance with the ability of the tenants to pay. In the circumstances, I feel that there are no grounds for complaint, as the rents will be such as the tenants in all cases can afford to pay.
Does the Minister recall answering a similar question on the 24th May and that I pointed out to him on that occasion that I was not raising the question of differential rents but the question of standard and fixed rents and that in these cases, when the change of tenancy occurred, the rents were advanced in many cases to an extent exceeding 100 per cent. of the original rent?
The corporation proposal to introduce by stages a scheme of differential rents for all their property would be defeated if the concession with regard to widows and widowers were extended to other surviving relatives and, therefore, I feel I could not do anything in the matter.
That implies that in all cases in which a change of tenancy occurs in houses where there are fixed rents the system of differential rents will be introduced?
Yes, the corporation are introducing a graded scale of rents.