asked the Minister for Local Government why sanction has not yet been given in respect of the tender submitted by the Wicklow County Council for the erection of seven cottages in Glenmalure.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wicklow Housing.
The local authority have been asked for their considered views on the housing needs position in Glenmalure. When these are received there will be no avoidable delay in issuing a decision on their proposal to accept a tender for the erection of seven cottages.
Is it not a fact that the local authority submitted their views when submitting a tender for sanction?
Wicklow County Council have experienced difficulty in some cases in letting cottages to qualified applicants, and, as the Glenmalure site is in a rather remote area, it was decided, before making a decision on the tender proposal, to verify that a definite need exists for each of the seven cottages.
Further arising from the reply, it should be pointed out that certain cottages have been erected in remote areas. I should like to bring to the attention of the Parliamentary Secretary the fact that this is an area where there is a large forest centre and where there is need for additional houses.
Would the Deputy please ask a question?
Is it the contention of the Parliamentary Secretary that people living in remote areas are not to be decently housed?
The question is one of getting tenants.
asked the Minister for Local Government why sanction has not been given in respect of the tender submitted by the Wicklow County Council for the erection of six houses in Blessington.
The local authority were requested by letter of 19th ultimo to furnish details of the family circumstances and present housing conditions of the prospective tenants of the proposed six houses in Blessington. When this information is furnished, their proposal to accept a tender for the houses will be considered further.
Is it not a fact that when submitting the tender for sanction the county council gave full details of the conditions under which the applicants were living and that this is just delayed action?
The local authórity submitted proposals for 14 houses. They reduced that by a certain number and again reduced it to six. We are asking for a definite figure of the number required.
The number required is six.
We have asked the local authority officials to make that definite.
They have made it definite.