asked the Minister for Lands the reason for the delay in allocating houses acquired by the Land Commission for the past number of years in County Mayo which are deteriorating in value; and what steps he proposes to take to have this matter dealt with.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mayo Land Commission Houses.
79.
There is no avoidable delay in the disposal of houses on properties acquired by the Land Commission in County Mayo.
Normally, large mansions and other residences which are considered unsuitable for Land Commission purposes are offered for sale by them by public auction as quickly as possible. At present, a few such properties are pending for early disposal in this way.
The allocation of houses which can be absorbed in land settlement schemes must await the division of the estates on which they stand.
If the Deputy is interested in any individual case and furnishes particulars, I shall look into the matter.
Will the Minister state that he will act quickly in cases where houses which were acquired four or five years ago have not yet been dealt with and where people have applied for them?
I do not think I heard the Deputy clearly.
Will the Minister be prepared to deal immediately with cases of hardship? I am referring to people who have applied for housing quite some time ago, who are yet waiting for suitable accommodation and who are suffering hardship? Has that matter been brought to the Minister's notice? I am talking about houses which were acquired in the past four years by the Land Commission and for which there are applicants who, at present, have extreme housing problems. Although these people made application in the past three or four years, they have not been considered by the Department yet. If particulars of their cases are brought to the attention of the Minister, will he be prepared to allocate the houses immediately if he is satisfied that extreme hardship exists?
I would be more than interested in expediting the allocation of houses and in avoiding delay in their allocation either in Mayo or elsewhere. I would, therefore, be grateful for any particulars the Deputy can furnish in regard to undue delay.
How much is considered "undue" by the Land Commission?
This is a problem which I am personally very much concerned about.
Five years?
No. It simply should not happen.