asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware that in Edenderry, Offaly, there are people living in houses condemned by the county medical officer of health and that at the same time newly-erected houses are vacant because the prospective tenants cannot meet the cost of rent; and, if so, what are his proposals for the housing of such persons.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing Schemes.
I am informed that four families are living in houses in Edenderry which have been condemned by the county medical officer. I am also informed that four of a scheme of 60 houses recently completed by the Offaly County Council in Edenderry have not yet been tenanted. I am asking the council to offer these houses to the four families living in condemned houses and to consider whether a modification of the council's present graded rents scheme which would relate the rents of the houses directly to the capacity of the prospective tenants to pay would be desirable.
Does the Minister not see that it is quite ridiculous to have in an area a number of prospective applicants residing in condemned houses while new houses have been completed which they cannot occupy because of the rent? Would the Minister undertake to request the county manager to see that those people are housed and that the rent question will be a very secondary consideration? The housing of the people should be the first consideration.
I have taken that up with the manager, but the manager and the council have to arrange some scheme of rents. They have arranged a scheme of graded rents from 7/6 to 25/-.
Would the Minister request the county manager to let those people into the new houses, to take them out of the hovels pending completion of what will be very prolonged inquiries in connection with this rent problem?
I have asked the manager to look into the matter but I have not given dictation, as the Deputy's request would imply. The manager has to be responsible for the finance of this scheme. The county council and the manager have allocated these houses at graded rents between 7/6 and 25/-.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will give immediate sanction to the site acquired by the local authority for a housing scheme at Clonminan, Portlaoighise, in view of the great demand for houses in the town.
No proposal for the acquisition of a housing site at Clonminan, Portlaoighise, has yet been submitted for my approval. I understand, however, that the Laoighis County Council have completed negotiations with the owners of two sites in the district, on which it is proposed to erect 80 houses, and that formal proposals in the matter will be submitted to my Department at an early date. The Deputy can be assured that there will be no avoidable delay in the Department in dealing with the proposals.
Will the Minister ensure, on this occasion, when he receives the proposals of the county manager, that the cost of building the houses certainly will not exceed the cost, which he knows is excessive and which is regarded locally as excessive, of the houses recently built and let in the town? In other words, will he ask the county manager——
That is a separate question.
——in the particular county and adjoining county to see if a successful experiment can be carried out by direct labour rather than pay excessive prices, which mean higher rents to the people looking for the houses?
That is an entirely separate question.
£2,000 each, for houses in Portlaoighise.
That is an entirely separate question.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state the number of houses erected by (a) Laoighis County Council; (b) Offaly County Council; (c) Tullamore Urban Council; (d) Mountmellick Town Commissioners; (e) Portlaoighise Town Commissioners; (f) Birr Urban Council, and (g) Edenderry Town Commissioners, since 1st January, 1947, and the location of houses erected by each of the two county councils; further, if he is satisfied that the local authorities concerned are doing their best to provide houses for the people who require them and if he has any information as to the housing requirements still to be met in the areas concerned.
In regard to the Deputy's question as to whether the local authorities in Counties Laoighis and Offaly are doing their best to provide houses for the people who require them, I am satisfied that the number of houses already completed, together with those at present in course of construction and the arrangements being made to acquire sites and formulate further schemes, indicate that the authorities concerned are taking adequate steps to deal with the housing problem in their areas.
As the remainder of the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose, with your permission, a Leas-Chinn Comhairle, to circulate it with the Official Report.
The following is the statement, which is based on information furnished by the local authorities concerned:—
|
LOCAL AUTHORITY |
Number of houses erected since 1st January, 1947 |
Location of houses erected |
Estimated remaining housing needs |
|
(a) Laoighis Co. Council |
130 |
Portlaoighise (52) |
Approx. 450 houses. |
|
Knightstown (6) and 72 single cottages in rural areas throughout the county. |
|||
|
(b) Offaly Co. Council |
131 |
Edenderry (60), Banagher (22) and 49 single cottages in rural areas throughout the county. |
Approx. 350 houses |
|
(c) Tullamore U.D.C. |
74 |
—— |
Approx. 220 houses. |
|
(d)*Mountmellick T. Cs. |
Nil. |
—— |
Approx. 60 houses (included at (a) above). |
|
(e)*Portlaoighise T. Cs. |
Nil. |
—— |
Approx. 80 houses (included at (a) above). |
|
(f) Birr U.D.C. |
20 |
—— |
Approx. 50 houses. |
|
(g)†Edenderry T. Cs. |
Nil. |
—— |
Approx. 30 houses (included at (b) above). |
*Housing Mountmellick and Portlaoighise is being carried out by Laoighis County Council.
†Housing in Edenderry is being carried out by Offaly County Council.
£1,600 to £2,000 per house.