asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state the cause of the failure of his Department to sanction the proposals and plans of the Dublin Corporation housing committee to erect a block of 36 flats on the bombed site, North Strand Road, in view of the fact that the flats proposed are urgently needed to house workers engaged in industries in the district including the docks and railways and that the site is one of the few left on the north side of the city that has adequate church, school, shopping and bus facilities adjoining it.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Housing.
Mr. Byrne
The costs, calculated to the nearest pound, of providing flats of the type proposed on this site would be £1,429 for a two-room flat, £1,972 for a three-room flat and £2,460 for a four-room flat. Four-roomed houses are being erected a few miles away for about £1,200 a house. I, therefore, decided, in view of the abnormally high expenditure which would be involved in erecting these flats, that the money would be better spent in building more houses of the ordinary type on other sites. The corporation was informed to this effect on the 19th December last.
Mr. Byrne
Is the Minister aware that the corporation resents very much the attitude of the Government in relation to this particular block of flats for which tenders had been invited and the plans revised on two occasions? Is the Minister further aware that the site in question is the only available site in the centre of the city for dock workers? Churches, schools, hospitals and shopping centres are all near at hand and yet the Minister would be willing to sent the prospective tenants—who are workers in the dock area—four miles out from their work, with the result that they would have to pay increased bus fares in addition to increased rent. The corporation are a good and capable body. They know what they want in Dublin City while, apparently, the Minister's Department do not. I request the Minister to have the whole matter reconsidered and to permit the corporation to proceed with their splendid housing programme. Only recently, because of the Department's delay in issuing a sanction, 12 bricklayers were dismissed and had to face emigration.
The Deputy is making a speech.
Mr. Byrne
I see Deputy Corry is laughing. It may be a source of laughter for him, but it is not a source of laughter for the prospective tenants of these flats.
Deputy Byrne is making a speech.
The Deputy is quite ridiculous in his statement. This concerns only 34 dwelling and it cannot possibly alter the corporation's general housing programme. In addition, the Minister for Local Government has indicated his willingness to receive a deputation to discuss this matter further.
Mr. Byrne
Thanks very much for that.
asked the Minister for Local Government when his Department will sanction the tenders for houses submitted by the Dublin County Council for the Espinasse estate, Deans Grange, and the Cunniam site, Cornelscourt, and when work is likely to begin on these schemes.
Proposals of the county council to accept tenders for the erection of 100 houses at the Espinasse site, Deans Grange, and 58 houses at the Cunniam site, Cornelscourt, were submitted to my Department on the 10th instant and were approved on the 26th instant. I understand that the council expects to have work begun on these schemes in the near future.