asked the Minister for Local Government whether, in view of the fact that the sketch plans of the flat blocks to be built at Vicar Street, Dublin, were approved in 1947, he will state when it is proposed to commence building the flats.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Building of Dublin Flats.
Sanction to the acceptance by Dublin Corporation of a tender for the building of a scheme of 70 flats at Vicar Street was given on 11th October, 1957. A decision on a revised proposal of the corporation to build 54 flats on the site was given by my Department's letter of 28th May last. I am not in a position to state yet when the building of the flats will be commenced.
I should add, however, as I intimated to the deputation which I met from the Dublin Corporation yesterday afternoon—and also the representatives of the Francis Street Traders' Association—that I shall have a decision conveyed to the corporation in time for the housing committee meeting, which I understand will take place on Friday morning.
Will the Minister agree that a period of some eight or nine years is rather long from the time flats are planned to the time they reach the stage when there is a possibility of their being actually constructed and people living in them?
I entirely agree with the Deputy's assertion; but I think the Deputy will agree with me when I say that, while he makes that suggestion to me, it should not in any way imply that it is the fault of the Department. Faults they may have, but I do not think they can be blamed for the seven or eight years' delay in this case. It has had a rather long and chequered history, as we know, and the only thing I can say about it is that, as far as my Department and I are concerned, the very fact that we are now at this stage meeting the corporation to find a compromise to the deadlock reached on this particular matter is due entirely to our desire to get the building started—even though it may well be that it is not as we would like it to be started.
Further arising from the Minister's reply, I appreciate his intention to do all possible at this stage; but will the Minister agree that a period of over 12 months to approve and grant a Compulsory Purchase Order is rather long for his Department?
I agree that the period is long, but I do not agree that it is a delay which has been occasioned by the failure of my Department to grant sanction. I think the House should be aware that the delay—the recent delay, leaving out the past history of the scheme altogether—has been brought about by virtue of the fact that the original scheme as presented and agreed to by the Department was found, on investigation, not to have got the full rights and clearance of the public roadway that existed in the midst of the proposed site. That oversight was not an oversight on the part of the Department.