asked the Minister for Local Government the total amount by way of interest on loans payable in respect of Dublin Corporation houses in each of the past three years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Corporation Houses.
125.
The information requested is not available in my Department. Total loan charges, including principal and interest, on moneys raised by the corporation for the provision of local authority houses were £3.80 million in 1968-69, £4.38 million in 1969-70 and £4.60 million in 1970-71.
126.
asked the Minister for Local Government the total number of Dublin Corporation tenancy houses in Dublin city let at the end of each of the past three years.
The statistics in question are kept on a financial year basis. The total number of dwellings let by Dublin Corporation was 45,824 at the 31st March, 1969, 45,516 at the 31st March, 1970, and about 45,000 at the 31st March, 1971.
127.
asked the Minister for Local Government why the tenant of a Dublin Corporation house (name supplied) who is planning to purchase the house was informed by Dublin Corporation that the value had been increased from £1,565 on 6th May, 1969 to £2,475 on 26th November, 1970, an increase of over 57 per cent in 17 months.
My functions in relation to the sale to tenants of houses rented to them by local authorities are to approve of general sale schemes which I am satisfied comply with the provisions of the Housing Act, 1966 and the regulations made thereunder. The provisions in question stipulate, amongst other items, that the sale prices under a scheme must be equivalent to the current market or replacement value of the houses. The application of an approved scheme to individual tenants is a matter for the local authority and tenant concerned and is not one in which I have functions.
Would the Minister not agree that the change in the price of the house which is referred to here was brought about by the direct action of the Dáil on the proposal of one of the Minister's predecessors who is no longer with us?
This is not so.
Is it not true that the increased cost of the house was due to a revised system of valuation introduced by Deputy Boland when he was Minister for Local Government?
Not in this case.
How did the price increase by 57 per cent in 10 months if that is not the case.
This was the first sale scheme made by Dublin Corporation under the 1966 Act. No rented corporation house had previously been sold and there was no basis for valuation. Having settled on a price, it transpired that subsequently these houses were resold by the purchasers in some cases for twice the figure and certainly at figures well in excess of the price the corporation had put on them. In law, they were obliged to see that the sale prices would relate to the replacement value or the market value but from evidence available to them it was clear they had not complied fully with the law and when a new scheme was drawn up subsequently the houses were re-valued so as to be more in line with their market value. This is the explanation for the differences in the prices in these two schemes which were both drawn up after the 1966 Act had been passed. Tenants who were offered these houses under the original scheme had the benefit of the very low price, an unrealistic price.
Is the Minister saying that the 1966 scheme is the one under which the present price was fixed.
Yes.
Therefore, this was the Deputy Boland scheme which he introduced and which scourged tenants attempting to buy their houses not only in Dublin but all over the country.
The Deputy might have the wrong name on the Minister.
It could have been Deputy Blaney.
I do not think it is very important.
I am sorry; I do not want to be unfair to Deputy Boland if it was Deputy Blaney. I know it was a Fianna Fáil Minister anyway.