asked the Minister for Local Government if, in view of the pressing need for additional houses in the Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown constituency and of the large number of applicants awaiting houses in this constituency, he will state what action he proposes to take in conjunction with the Dún Laoghaire Corporation and the Dublin County Council to provide additional houses; how many it is proposed to provide; and when work will start on a scheme or schemes to provide them.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Dublin Housing.
23.
It is a matter for the Dublin County Council and the Dún Laoghaire Corporation to initiate whatever proposals they consider necessary for the provision of dwellings to meet the needs of their areas. It is my earnest wish that housing authorities should press ahead with schemes to meet such needs in the shortest possible time. Any assistance that I or my Department can provide to accelerate matters is at their disposal.
With regard to the Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown areas, while I am not in a position to state the number of dwellings which it is proposed to provide, the following is the position regarding schemes for which proposals have already reached my Department:
Boley, Monkstown—45 houses were in progress at 31st October, 1962.
Rockford, Stradbrook Road— Planning proceeding for 130 houses.
Dundrum—88 houses. Proposals to accept tenders for development have been approved.
Stillorgan—66 houses. Proposals to accept tenders for development work have been approved.
Shankill—The county council have indicated that they propose to provide approximately 24 additional houses.
24.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware of the large number of applicants awaiting houses in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown constituency, and the fact that Dún Laoghaire Corporation and the Dublin County Council refuse to house sub-tenants of local authority houses who reside with relatives, and who are applicants for accommodation, because of a Departmental regulation disallowing the local authorities concerned State subsidy facilities from his Department in such cases; and if in view of the hardship caused by this regulation at present he will withdraw it.
Local authorities are not debarred from obtaining subsidy towards the rehousing of sub-tenants of their houses. Dún Laoghaire Corporation, like many other housing authorities, has availed itself of the subsidy to rehouse a not inconsiderable number of families who were sub-tenants of local authority dwellings. I have already explained fully in reply to previous Parliamentary Questions the subsidy position in respect of the rehousing of sub-tenants. I would refer the Deputy in particular to my reply to Deputy Corish in the matter on 31st October, when I indicated that consideration was being given to this aspect of housing in connection with the surveys of unfit housing prepared, or being prepared, throughout the country.
Is it not a fact that the Minister's whole housing subsidy scheme is weighted against the local authority desiring to rehouse applicants already living as sub-tenants in local authority houses?
No. The fact of the matter is, and no one can deny it, that subsidy arrangements are weighted in favour of the housing authority which wishes to attend to the worst of its housing conditions. That has always been the case.
Is the Minister aware that in Dún Laoghaire borough and Dublin County Council area there is a regulation that a sub-tenant must have been resident prior to 1960—I understand this is a departmental regulation —before the local authority will qualify for the subsidy?
I am afraid that is new to me. I will check on it to see if that is according to our regulations.