asked the Minister for Local Government if there are any provisions in the Labourers Acts and the Housing Acts which enable applicants for local authority housing accommodation or building sites to submit a petition (a) to the housing authority, or (b) to him, as successor to the Local Government Board; and, if so, if there is an obligation on the housing authority to prepare a housing scheme for such applicants.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Authority Housing Applicants.
43.
Section 4 of the Labourers (Ireland) Act, 1883, sets out the provisions in regard to the submission of statutory representations to a county council for the provision of labourers cottages. There is no provision in the Labourers Acts for the submission of a petition directly to the Minister. Furthermore, there is no obligation on a county council to accede to representations made under section 4 or to provide cottages on this specific basis. While section 4 has not been formally repealed, the letting of dwellings provided by housing authorities must now comply with the priorities set out in the Housing (Management and Letting) Regulations 1950 and 1953.
There is no provision in the Housing of the Working Classes Acts similar to section 4 of the Labourers (Ireland) Act, 1883.
As regards building sites, the position is that housing authorities have power to provide such sites but are not under any obligation to do so.