Vol. 265 No. 4
asked the Minister for Local Government when he proposes to undertake a comprehensive review of the current differential rent schemes of local authorities; and if he will ensure the widest possible consultation on the setting up of revised national standards for such schemes.
33.
asked the Minister for Local Government when he proposes to meet representatives of NATO to discuss proposals for amending the present differential rent system.
34.
asked the Minister for Local Government the action he proposes to take to ease the hardship of rents in view of the fact that tenants on differential rents have in most cases been notified of an increase since 1st April, 1973.
35.
asked the Minister for Local Government if it is intended to change the regulations governing the differential rent scheme.
36.
asked the Minister for Local Government if in view of the difficulties experienced under the differential rents system by people who earn overtime, he will arrange that overtime earnings are not taken into account in assessing the rent differential.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 to 36 together.
I am at present reviewing the whole structure of the renting of local authority houses with the object of arriving at an acceptable renting system which can be applied uniformly throughout the country. I have already met representatives of the National Association of Tenants Organisations and representatives of the association have had discussions with officers of my Department. When the review is completed I will consider what changes in the regulations are necessary.
I am not aware that tenants on differential rents have, in most cases, been notified of increases in rent since 1st April, 1973.
I have seen ten notifications sent out by my local authority, Carlow County Council, where differential rents have been increased since 1st April, 1973 and if the Minister would like them I shall give them to him on Tuesday.
I wonder if the Deputy is mistaking rent notices sent out which would have applied to the rates element contained in the rent?
No, these notices were sent out following the wages statements sent in by the tenants and due to the fact that the wages had increased the rents were increased. The Minister and the new Government promised that this would be reviewed as one point of their 14-point plan.
I would like the Minister to clarify what he has said. Are we to take it from the reply that he intends to introduce a uniform differential rents scheme which will apply throughout the whole county, just one scale of differential rents? As the Minister knows, there are many variations in the schemes adopted by the various housing authorities: they differ from one authority to another. Is it the Minister's intention to introduce one scheme for the whole country?
I am attempting to get a system which can be applied uniformly.
Will there be just one differential rents scheme for every housing authority? Will there be differences in local authority areas?
For reasons of which the Deputy is aware, there may be variations but the system under which the rents will be fixed will be similar in all cases.
No change.
Could the Minister tell us approximately when his review of the rents situation will be completed?
Discussions took place a few weeks ago with representatives of the tenants' organisations and we are awaiting a further report which should be considered within the next few weeks. It is hard to put a date on it but I should say it will be within a month or six weeks at the very latest and possibly much sooner.
Would the Minister tell us now that it is nationally known that the present Minister for Local Government has met the National Association of Tenants' Organisations with a view to settling a dispute which his predecessor denied ever existed and that as an outcome of the negotiations we shall have a fair and just settlement of this awkward question of differential rents?
I am moving on to Question No. 37 in the name of Deputy Andrews.
I wish to correct a statement that has been made——
It was irrelevant and out of order.
The Minister's predecessor told us that there was no dispute with the tenants' organisation.
Question No. 37.
