asked the Minister for Local Government if he has received a request from the residents of South Finglas, Dublin regarding their domestic heating dilemma; and if he proposes to meet their representatives for discussions on this matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Domestic Heating Problem.
13.
Representations have been made to me by residents of South Finglas regarding their domestic heating problem. I have already replied to these representations and informed the residents of the provision of grants for the installation of fireplaces or solid fuel burning appliances in their houses. These grants, including supplementary grants, may total two-thirds of the cost of the work up to a maximum of £400. I understand that the residents have also communicated with the corporation about their problem.
As the Minister has repeated what he said yesterday, I suppose I may repeat what I said. Does he accept that indicating to families who already owe the ESB £400 in respect of heating bills that they qualify for grants or for anything which requires them to spend money is poor consolation to them? These people have no power at the moment. There are 20 families there with no form of heating or power for cooking and does the Minister not think that he could do better than indicate grants for which they are eligible but which we know they cannot avail of and that something will have to be done before the position worsens?
I understand that Dublin County Council on their own initiative are providing on request alternative means of heating in their rented houses which have central heating only. This consists in the provision of Super Ser heaters at a cost of about £30 each. These are being provided in various areas in the county and the cost is being met in full by the county council. The Department is not aware of any other area where a local authority has provided an alternative means of heating in centrally heated houses. As I said yesterday to the Deputy in private conversation and last night in the debate. I have sympathy with these people but that is no use to them. They have been encumbered with a system of heating and cooking which is no use to them. They are the victims of the system. All I could do was to stop that system being installed and give them the opportunity of installing solid fuel heating systems where possible. There is no legislation which permits the Department to take over payment of heating bills for council tenants and that cannot be done. If we talk about it for 12 months, we would not come any nearer solving the problem. I suggest the matter be taken up again with the local authorities.
While I admit these people are the inheritors of this poor system, they are also victims of the present economic blizzard and this has worsened their situation. The Minister might exhort the local authority to introduce some form of differential payment in respect of heating in those houses. When we have differential rents I do not see why he could have differential payments in respect of these charges which are in excess of the rents they are required to pay.
The differential rents scheme is a national scheme. If what the Deputy suggests could be introduced I could see local authority tenants all over the country validly saying to the Department of Local Government: "You paid for heating and cooking costs in houses in Dublin; why can you not do it everywhere else?" This is not possible. While I have all the sympathy in the world for these people, I cannot do anything to help and there is no point in trying to suggest that I can.