asked the Minister for Local Government if he will assist families to improve their social environment.
115.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Environmental Protection and Improvement.
114.
asked the Minister for Local Government if it has been established that maladjustments of the young are due not only to family deficiencies but also to the social environment.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 115 together.
It is my policy to assist and encourage local authorities to exercise their functions in planning, housing and the provision of amenities and facilities so as to contribute to the creation of an improved social environment.
Do I understand from this that there will be grants to residential organisations who put forward worthwhile developments for their area?
This has been raised recently under two heads, but there is no decision to give such grants. Of course, the amenities scheme which is already in existence does apply to this sort of thing. The people concerned were to make representations to me, but I still have not got those. The representations will be considered when they make them, but no decision has been made.
Is it not true that there are certain steps the local authority can take to recognise certain local tenants associations and so on, which they will not do in case it involves them in a big commitment of money at a later stage?
I am not aware of that.
116.
asked the Minister for Local Government the proposals he has (a) to humanise Ireland's cities (b) to revitalise medium-sized towns (c) to preserve and rediscover the country's architectural and historical heritage (d) to combat the tendency in modern towns towards segregation and (e) to promote the sense of community identity.
117.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he has any plans for the conservation, restoration and rehabilitation of old districts.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 117 together.
The Local Government (Planning Development) Act, 1963, and the Housing Act, 1966, give local authorities powers to enable them to improve the total living environment and to contribute to the revitalisation of towns. The Planning Act mentioned also gives such authorities powers to play a considerable part in the preservation of our architectural and historical heritage including the conservation, restoration and rehabilitation of old districts. Using their housing and planning powers, local authorities can make provision for effective residential communities to cater for a wide range of persons and provide for all reasonable community needs.
I have strongly encouraged local authorities to look to the needs of their areas and in particular have asked them to examine the practicability of acquiring and conserving existing dwellings in built-up areas for the benefit of families on their waiting lists for re-housing. I have specifically requested the Dublin Corporation to see to the provision of housing in those central city areas which have been traditionally residential in character, with a view to restoring living communities in these areas. Progress by the corporation has been striking. The Central City Housing Development Plan recently adopted by the commissioners envisages the acquisition of sites to a total of 80 acres. A similar central city redevelopment proposal is envisaged by Limerick Corporation for the Thomondgate area and the first phase of the project is at tender stage.
Is the Minister satisfied that the local authorities generally are really taking this outlook seriously in regard to restoration, rehabilitation, clearing derelict sites and so forth? Because I am not.
Some of them are and some of them are not. Perhaps next June will revitalise the local authorities, and the new people going in there may have very bright ideas.
Would the Minister in the meantime, preparatory to the exercise in June, have an inquiry made or elicit the information which he seems to think is there, that some of them are not pulling their weight in this matter, and bring it to their notice——
I have circularised them twice within the last few months requesting that this be done. I understand that most of them, where the problem is serious, are now taking cognisance of the fact that they can and should do this sort of thing. Let us hope it will be effective.
Presumably the Minister apperciates that, for instance, in centre city areas of Dublin, while the will may be there to do it, the expenditure involved is very considerable. In view of that, could I ask the Minister whether he has made or proposes to make any special financial resources available to the local authorities concerned to do this?
Yes. Local authorities have been informed that they are entitled to do it themselves and grants will be made available, or the people who have the houses can avail of grants that would be available for this type of work. Every encouragement is being given, and I would appreciate if Deputies would try to get those who know of places like that in various towns——
I think the Minister misunderstands me. Part of his reply did refer to what he is saying now about the local authorities taking over houses for people on their housing list. That is not what I was referring to. I was referring to the cost involved, for instance, for the Dublin Corporation in the acquisition of 80 acres of centre city property. I know some of that is in their possession but where it is not the cost per acre is enormous and that is the main reason why many of these areas have been allowed to become in need of attention.
One of the reasons.
In the light of this has the Minister made available or does he propose to make available to local authorities special financial resources over and above the normal resources to do this work?
If Dublin Corporation make a proposal to the Department about these matters it will be very favourably considered. The Deputy may be assured that having advised them to do something we do not propose to allow it to go by default.
Perhaps the Minister would also have regard to new housing areas. One appreciates that the local authority is primarily concerned with getting the houses built. That is a first priority, but if more attention could be given to rounding off, as it were, these new housing schemes it would be very beneficial. In fact I saw where the Minister commented at some scheme he opened on the necessity for tree planting. One has every sympathy with the local authority in this regard but perhaps they could try to envisage a fully completed scheme more often.
I assure the Deputy that already instructions have been given to local authorities to do exactly this. The trouble is that there are many areas where houses were built with such little regard for any type of open space or playing space or trees that it is difficult, but every effort is being made to try even in such cases to have something done.
Very often builders' rubble and scaffolding are left lying there.
These will no longer be a feature of finished housing schemes.
118.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will consider establishing a network of protected recreational areas.
My Department, in common with other Departments concerned, is participating in current work under the auspices of the Council of Europe, which may lead to a graded European network of recreational areas.
In the meantime, the various bodies concerned with recreational areas here are alive to recreational requirements and work in close co-operation. Bodies concerned include my own Department, the Department of Lands, the Office of Public Works and Bord Fáilte Éireann.
I may mention in particular the responsibility of local authorities under planning legislation to consider the recreational needs arising in their areas and the measures necessary to take. The work undertaken by An Foras Forbartha should assist them in discharging their responsibilities— for example, the study currently being carried out by An Foras on the demand for recreation facilities and the recent National Coastline Study.
119.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will draw up and publish a list of principles defining the rights and duties of the individual vis-à-vis his environment.
I am not clear what the Deputy means by "a list of principles defining the rights and duties of the individual vis-à-vis his environment” or what purposes such a list would serve.
Would the Minister agree that while an individual has certain rights and privileges as regards the enjoyment of his environment he has duties also to help to protect it?
I should like the Deputy to give me a little more information because it is as puzzling to me as I am sure it is to him.
Raise it on the Adjournment.
I think I will.
I shall put down the question in a different form.
120.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he is satisfied that the Town and Country Planning Acts and the Civic Amenities Act will be sufficient to protect the environment under his proposed local government reorganisation.
The Acts cited by the Deputy are not in force in this country. The law relating to planning and development, including the provision of amenities is contained in the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1963. The proposals for local government reorganisation would not result in changes in the planning code except that, in the administration of the code, some planning duties of urban district councils may be transferred to county councils.
121.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will consider declaring certain areas as being of outstanding natural beauty, with a view to restricting planning permission.
This is a matter for the planning authorities. The Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1963, enables them to make an amenity area order declaring an area to be one of special amenity and the order may specify that no development, other than exempted development, or only specified development will be permitted in the area or any specified part of the area.
Have any amenity orders been implemented?
I would not know.
I understand that even Kerry County Council have not been making such orders for places like Killarney. Has this happened in regard to the Boyne Valley, for instance?
No, this has not happened in the Boyne Valley. There is an amenity area in County Meath which I know pretty well and I am quite sure other local authorities have similar amenity areas.
Would the Minister take steps to ensure that local authorities implement these orders? There must be some reason why they are not being implemented.
It is hardly worthwhile now because the new Bill will be introduced very shortly.
And will deal with this?
And will operate, yes.
122.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will ensure that where trees are removed because of urban or road improvements, replacements will be planted.
The question of replacement of trees which have to be removed because of urban or road improvements is one to be settled at local authority level. Replacement may not be appropriate or possible in every case but, in notifying local authorities of Road Fund grants for the current year, my Department has requested that "care should be taken at all times to ensure that road improvements are designed so as to harmonise with the environment and to cause the minimum harm ... to the amenities enjoyed by local people".
The Minister is aware that although trees may be preserved, changing of conditions around them could kill them off where they stand.
I think I know a lot more about trees than the Deputy will ever hope to learn. I am not being rude about it but I was born and reared in the country. That is not the only problem involved in moving trees. Moving mature trees and putting them down somewhere else when a local authority is widening a road is not something that can be done easily.
I know that. I am thinking of big trees such as that at Stillorgan which died on the roadway.
I would not say that was what killed it but something else. I shall tell the Deputy about it afterwards.
123.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will increase research on the effects which new environmental preoccupations may have on the relations between the more industrialised areas of the country and the less developed areas, with the aim of reducing the gap in the standard of life between them.
I am not clear on what the Deputy means by the relations between the more industrialised areas of the country with the less developed areas or how these relations may be affected by environmental preoccupations. I may state, however, that the Government favours a balanced spread of development which will provide appropriate economic and social opportunities for all regions. Due account of this is taken in research.
124.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he supports the aims of the "Keep Ireland Beautiful" movement.
I am sure that a private sector initiative such as the "Keep Ireland Beautiful" movement, which is concerned with the litter and waste problems, can make an important contribution, within its spheres of concern, towards increasing environmental awareness and concern. That is something which I welcome and commend, and this I indicated at the launching of the movement.