asked the Minister for Local Government how the tenancy rights of Dublin Corporation tenants compare with those of a tenant of a privately owned house.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Corporation Tenants.
36.
The main tenancy conditions of tenants of Dublin Corporation are based on those set out in the Housing Authorities (Loan Charges Contributions and Management) Regulations, 1967, or earlier regulations.
Corporation tenants are normally on weekly tenancies but in practice they have fixity of tenure so long as they comply with the terms of letting agreements. Generally, the rent of a corporation tenant will vary in accordance with the financial circumstances of his household, from a figure less than the amount required to meet even the rates liability up to an amount sufficient to meet the cost of the house to the corporation. The difference between the aggregate in rents paid by tenants and the cost to the corporation of maintaining, et cetera the houses, is made up from subsidies from general taxation and rates, to the extent in the current financial year, of about £4 million.
Another concession to corporation tenants is the right to buy their houses, if they wish, for market value, as set out in the corporation's purchase scheme, less a discount of 2 per cent for each year of tenancy after five, subject to a maximum discount of 30 per cent. This means that a tenant could purchase a house worth, say, £2,000 on the open market, for £1,400, without putting down any deposit unless he wishes to do so. Corporation tenants are also entitled to specially favourable treatment if they wish to obtain house-purchase loans or supplementary grants from the local authority to buy another house for their own occupation.
The tenure and conditions, including rents, of private tenants depend on the terms of their tenancy agreements and the relevant law including, in particular, the Landlord and Tenant Acts and the Rent Restrictions Acts.
Would the Minister agree that tenants of council houses have not the same rights and are far from having the same rights as the tenants of privately-let houses?
That is a very complex question.
It is a very obvious one. Is the Minister aware of the fact that Dublin Corporation told me that they have not the same rights?
They have no rights.
Their rights are described in the agreement.
They have no rights.
Is the Minister aware that a tenant of a corporation house is not allowed to have Kosangas or Calor gas in his house?
Or pigeons.