asked the Minister for Local Government why the Government decided that the new Dublin Corporation house purchase scheme, which has now been suspended, should apply to houses sold after 1st July, 1973.
65.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin House Purchase Schemes.
64.
asked the Minister for Local Government if his scheme for tenant house purchase will be applied to tenants who purchased their houses under the immediately preceding purchase scheme should they find it to their advantage and vice-versa.
66.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he intends to accept finally the demands of NATO regarding the house purchase scheme; and, if so, if he will introduce legislation to ensure that those who break the law will not have any advantage over those who obey it.
With your permission, a Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 64, 65, and 66 together.
Dublin Corporation's new house-purchase scheme has not been suspended. It applies to houses sold to tenants after 1st July, 1973. As I explained to the Deputy in replies to his Question No. 69 on 8th November last, while I am aware that the sales scheme which I introduced on a national basis is more advantageous to tenants than the scheme operated by the previous Government, I have no power to alter the terms of legal transfers entered into by tenants to purchase their houses under the former scheme.
The Deputy's party had ample opportunity over many years of office to prepare a sales scheme as fair as that which now applies, and I cannot accept his suggestion that I should now assume responsibility for rectifying retrospectively the inequities which may have existed under the former administration. The Deputy's purported concern to have retrospective effect given to the new benefits is strikingly at variance with his lack of action to press the former Minister for Local Government to back-date the improved discount arrangements for sales schemes which were introduced as from 1st July, 1972.
A decision as to the terms of the new national tenant purchase scheme was made by me with the approval of the Government. Before reaching a decision, I considered the views of all interested parties, including those put forward on behalf of the persons most directly affected—the tenants—by the National Association of Tenants' Organisations and by other groups of tenants. I completely reject the Deputy's implications that the new and equitable scheme was forced on the Government by any pressure group and that every person who may apply to purchase his house under the new arrangements is, or was, a law-breaker. It is difficult to reconcile the Deputy's resentment at my willingness to consider the point of view of the tenants with his alleged desire to have the terms of my new scheme applied to tenants who opted to purchase under the scheme introduced by the former Government.
Could I ask the Minister whether, if tenants under the new scheme find themselves at a disadvantage, they can opt for the old scheme? I have read in the newspapers that this happens.
Yes, they have that right until 31st May of this year.
The Minister in his reply said he would not consider introducing legislation to get rid of any of the anomalies which have resulted from the new scheme.
I have said that I am not in a position to do what Deputy Lemass asked me to do. I would dearly like to do something for people who were "codded" into buying at a price which was excessive, but that would have to wait until an opportunity occurs to do so.
Is the Minister aware that elected representatives of the three major parties advised the tenants to buy their houses?
I am not responsible for what anybody else did. I am simply saying what I did with the agreement of the Government. It is unfair that Deputy Lemass should continue to suggest that the people who bought their houses under the new scheme are in some kind of way inferior citizens. He described them as "lawbreakers".
67.
asked the Minister for Local Government if his attention has been drawn to allegations that serious anomalies exist in the tenant purchase scheme introduced by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I am aware that the application of the new terms of sale for local authority houses, announced last July, has thrown up anomalies in individual housing schemes in some areas. I have discussed the matter with the representatives of tenants and I am having the overall position reviewed to ensure that fair sale prices will obtain in all cases.