asked the Minister for Local Government if he will take steps to provide that, in cases where tenancy is transferred from a former tenant to a member of the same family residing in the house, no increase will be made in differential rent charged.
Ceisteanna — Questions Oral Answers. - Differential Rents.
49.
I do not propose to adopt this suggestion.
The rent of a dwelling let under a differential rent scheme is not increased solely because of the fact that the tenancy has been transferred to another member of the family—the household income remains the factor that determines the level of rent. Since the rent to the new tenant will vary with income, there should be no hardship involved. A person with a low income will pay a low rent; a person with a higher income will pay a higher rent, but never a disproportionate share of his income or more than the house is worth.
In most of these cases where a married member of the family takes over the tenancy, the house is substandard and account should be taken of that fact in the fixing of the differential rent. There is the further point that in many cases improvements have been made to the house by the parent and that such improvements can represent plenty of expense although such work is the responsibility of the local authority. Some consideration should be given to those factors in the case of transfer of tenancy to an immediate member of the family.
I do not follow the Deputy's argument. If the tenant dies and the tenancy is transferred to a son who is resident in the house I assume, if he is to become a tenant, he holds a job and has an income. With the death of the tenant, the total income of the household would be reduced and in most cases there would thereby be a reduction in the rent.
That is not the position. This is where the Minister lacks information on the subject of the differential rents system. If a tenant dies in a corporation estate with a maximum of £X and, in the meantime—which has happened—the maximum in that estate is increased to £X plus 1 or £X plus 2, the tenant who comes along and succeeds the parent, and who was born and reared in the house, must then change from £X rent to £X plus Y rent according to the maximum rate imposed by the city or county manager.
The Deputy is not asking a question; he is making a statement.
Where there is a fixed rent applying in the case of a tenant, when the tenant dies and a son or daughter succeeds to the tenancy, he or she must come under the differential rent in the Dublin Corporation area.
Does the Minister consider it fair that where a son or daughter succeeds to the tenancy he or she should not be granted it at the same rent? In the first place, a son may have supported the family and paid the rent for years. I am enlightening the Minister on the problem because he certainly is not "with it". Would he consider recommending to the housing authority that the son who has lived with the family all his life——
That is not the question I have been asked. I was asked if in cases where tenancy is transferred it is possible that no increase will be made in differential rents. The Deputy is now asking about fixed rents.
Is the Minister aware that some of those houses were built in 1933——
This is outside the scope of the question, which was to do with differential rents.
These are substandard houses. They have no electric light, they have no bathrooms——
The Deputy is giving information. He is not asking a question.