asked the Minister for Local Government what is the present position in regard to the purchase under the tenant purchase scheme of a county council house by a serving soldier or his wife who is the tenant of such a house.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tenant Purchase Scheme and Council House.
The Labourers Act, 1936, provides that the only persons qualified to purchase a cottage under the Act are a tenant who is an agricultural labourer as defined in the Labourers Acts or was an agricultural labourer when he first became tenant or the widow, child or other relative of a person who at the time of his death was such a tenant, provided the widow, child or other relative was resident in the cottage at the date of the death of the tenant and is declared by the housing authority to be a qualified person. Subject to those provisions, it is a matter for the housing authority to decide who is entitled to purchase.
This is a very serious problem for Defence Force members and for their families, and surely, when there is a recruiting drive on in order to bring the Army up to full strength, it is undesirable to have regulations in force which prevent soldiers——
The Deputy is making an argument. The Deputy might ask the Minister what is the position.
It is very difficult to draft these questions when one has not two or three legal advisers to back one.
It is quite a simple matter to put a question.
I want this clarified: is it or is it not a fact that N.C.O.s and privates in the Army who happen to be tenants of county council houses are precluded from purchasing those houses, though Aer Lingus technicians, carpenters, commercial travellers, lorry drivers, van drivers and other categories can purchase such houses under the Labourers Act? Can the Minister give any sound reason why we have such a regulation applying to the Army?
The Deputy was a member of this House when the 1950 Housing Act was enacted. Under sub-section (3) of the relevant Section 24 of that Act county councils may provide houses for people other than agricultural labourers, but there is specific provision under which they are not entitled to purchase under the Labourers Act.
But they are still purchasing them and in view of the seriousness of this for the numerous members of the Army throughout the country, I wish to give notice that I intend to raise the subject matter of this question on the Adjournment.
I shall communicate with the Deputy in the course of the evening.