asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state (1) the number of cottage tenants entitled to purchase their holdings under the Labourers Act, 1936; (2) the number already vested; the reasons for the refusal of the great majority of the tenants to take advantage of the terms of this Act and whether, and, if so, when it is proposed to introduce proposals for amending legislation to enable the tenants concerned to purchase their cottages and plots under fair and acceptable conditions.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Labourers Act, 1936.
(1) Tenants of 60,590 labourers' cottages are entitled to purchase their cottages under the Labourers Act, 1936. (2) Approximately 8,000 cottages have so far been vested. A number of reasons have been given by county managers in explanation of the refusal of tenants to avail themselves of the terms of the Act. These reasons include disinclination to take on liability for repairs, objection to the period of the purchase annuity, the amount of the annuity, discouraging effect of delay due to title difficulties and absence of provision to enable tenants to acquire by payment of lump sums.
The extent to which practical steps can be taken by amending legislation to promote purchase under more attractive conditions and to facilitate vesting is at present under active consideration but I am not yet in a position to state when such amending legislation can be introduced.