asked the Minister for the Environment if he will make it a by-law requirement for all housing developments, both public and private, that public lighting be installed when the houses are being occupied.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Public Lighting.
5.
Local authorities provide the public lighting in their own housing schemes. With regard to private housing development, the existing practice is that a requirement to provide public lighting, to the standard required by the planning authority, is incorporated in the planning permission and compliance with this requirement can be enforced under the Planning Acts. I do not consider that the making of by-laws along the lines suggested would be helpful.
Would the Minister agree that the absence of public lighting constitutes a major cause of accidents, particularly in estates where there is a lot of joy-riding by young people and so on? Would he agree also that, even in the ordinary course of events, with normal traffic flow, there are a considerable number of accidents due to lack of public lighting in new estates?
This is one of the dificulties encountered by local authorities if lighting has not been provided when houses are completed in a new scheme, when there is pressure exerted on them to allow the houses to be occupied. Leaving completed houses unoccupied is dangerous because of the incidence of vandalism, sit-ins or unauthorised occupancies. Therefore, it is the practice for local authorities to endeavour to have their tenants in these houses even if, for one reason or another, the public lighting has not been completed. I agree with the Deputy that there should be no undue delay in providing such lighting as soon as any housing development has been completed.
The Minister is responsible not only for housing estates and their planning but also for the traffic-accident areas. Since he recognises the dangers involved has he any intention of having some limit placed on the time within which an estate can be left without public lighting, or adequate public lighting? Has he any intention of reviewing the system?
Initially it is the responsibility of local authorities to ensure that their housing estates are completed, with adequate lighting and so on and, in the case of private developments, to ensure that the requisite planning permission is sought and granted. Where representations are made to me that this is not happening I will certainly take up the matter with the local authorities concerned.