asked the Minister for Local Government if he has consulted the Limerick City Manager about the terms offered to settle the rent dispute at South Hill, Limerick.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Limerick Rents Dispute.
50.
The management of their housing estates is a matter for each local authority. My only function in relation to the rents of local authority houses is to approve of rents schemes drawn up by the authorities and which comply with certain general principles and practices.
So far as I am aware, the Limerick City Manager has not offered settlement terms to the tenants of the South Hill houses who are withholding rent and, in the circumstances, the question of my consulting with him about such terms does not arise.
Arising from the Parliamentary Secretary's reply with regard to this section of the Limerick city housing estate, there is at the moment a retention of rents in this area and, while we had these differences spread all over the different corporation estates in the city, we settled them amicably with the Tenants' Organisations.
The Deputy is now giving the House the information.
I want to ask a question. With regard to the retention of rents in this estate, the Tenants' Association have refused to come to the table for discussion. They say that whatever recommendations will be made will not be accepted by the Minister for Local Government. Having said that, I want to put it to the Parliamentary Secretary that we have organised a meeting for next Monday night of the Tenants' Association and some of the public representatives and the city manager and his officials. I want to know, if and when we find a solution, which we will—as we did in all our other estates—and we make our recommendation to the Minister——
This is a hypothetical question.
——will the Minister favourably consider the recommendation made in the names of the city manager and the Tenants' Association and the public representatives?
That is a separate question.
I want to ask the Parliamentary Secretary a question.
The Chair is concerned about the way the Deputy is putting the question.
Will the Chair let the Parliamentary Secretary answer my question?
Whatever is decided by the meeting may not, and I am sure will not, come before the Minister. What can come before the Minister are proposals by Limerick Corporation for a rents scheme. That has come before the Minister and has been dealt with by the Minister. If Limerick Corporation put forward a new differential rents scheme the Minister will consider it, but he certainly will not say in advance what action he will take on it.
Is the Minister prepared to consider sympathetically conditions in this estate vis-a-vis the conditions and the rents we have settled in the other estates in Limerick? If we settle this rents strike on next Monday night on the same basis as we settled the other strikes, will that be accepted by the Minister?
That is a hypothetical question.
I know it is a separate question and that is why I asked it.
The Deputy cannot ask separate questions without putting them down.
It is purely a matter for the city manager.
It is purely a matter for the city manager. I will quote that on Monday night.