asked the Minister for Local Government the nature and extent of consultations held at present with housewives in connection with the design and plan of local authority housing.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - House Design Consultations.
56.
Details are not available in my Department of the nature and extent of the consultations with housewives by housing authorities and their technical advisers in connection with the design of the house plans used in their schemes.
The Deputy may be assurred, however, that there is a constant feedback to local authorities from their tenants of reactions to the design and layout of housing schemes. This feedback comes through the elected representatives and the officers and consultants employed by the authorities, normally from consultations with individual tenants, including housewives, in their homes. Special joint surveys have been carried out from time to time by bodies such as the Departments of Social Science and of Business Administration, in UCD, An Foras Forbartha and the Irish House Builders' Association.
The National Building Agency have also carried out special surveys of housewives' reactions to the house designs used in agency schemes. Special attention has been given to the results of these various surveys and of similar surveys carried out in Great Britain in the preparation of the new range of generic plans which are to be used in the Government's special emergency housing programme.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that if the National Building Agency did carry out these consultations they would not have built houses of the design and type they are building in my constituency? Notwithstanding what the Parliamentary Secretary has said, we appear to be disregarding the worthwhile contribution housewives could make with regard to the design of houses, either local authority or otherwise.
I would not agree with the Deputy. The National Building Agency carried out a postal survey of tenants' reactions to the design and general standards of a 56-house scheme they erected at Newbridge and I am told they were satisfied with it. However, if the deputy has a particular complaint, the Department would be glad to hear from him.
Is the Parliamentary Secretatry aware that housewives in Ballymun are not too happy with the design? Houses built in other areas by the National Building Agency are of such a design that if the housewife wishes to admit anyone into her house she herself must first go into the house because there is not room for two people to stand on the doorstep.
I am calling Question No. 57.