I rise on this section because I am not satisfied with the reply the Parliamentary Secretary gave to me in connection with a scheme of industrial houses to be built by the National Building Agency. We are being asked today to provide the sum of £10 million for industrial houses. All of us would wish that these houses would be of the best possible quality and design. I gave the Minister an example of a scheme that I consider very badly designed—a scheme that certainly is not looking to the future. I did so having quoted the Minister's speech last week when he assured Dáil Éireann that as long as he is Minister for Local Government the mistakes of the past will not be allowed to be repeated. When I tried to show him that those mistakes are being repeated this very week the Parliamentary Secretary told me in his reply that it was the responsibility of the planning department of the local authority to ensure that this would not happen. I agree that the planning authority have a heavy responsibility in this matter. When one studies the plan—a plan for 100 houses to be built immediately and for a further 100 to be built at a future date—and when one takes into consideration that the roadways in this plan are only 20 feet wide in the year 1974 and that there are no provisions for open spaces for playgrounds or for anything else, I believe that it is the responsibility of the Minister to have immediate discussions with the National Building Agency to ensure that the assurance that he gave Dáil Éireann last week is implemented. There is no point in making statements such as he made last week without the proper follow-up. I should like to have an assurance from the Parliamentary Secretary that the Minister will take steps to ensure that not alone the houses in Donegal but the Houses to be built by the agency in other parts of this country have standards similar to those insisted upon from private developers.
National Building Agency Limited Bill, 1974 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Final Stages.
To a certain extent I should like to support Senator McGlinchey on this. Knowing the Minister, I believe he will honour the statement he made in the Dáil. I have no hesitation in saying that. However, I support Senator McGlinchey in his request to the Minister that he should call in the NBA and point out to them what is required. I am glad that Senator McGlinchey has brought this particular plan to the notice of the Seanad. We have sufficient concrete jungles throughout this country at the moment without adding to them. While houses are important I think it is equally as important that we should have open spaces and parks and not just a conglomeration of houses that can be built on every open space available. I am sure this debate will bring it to the attention of the Minister. I would suggest that any member of a local authority who has the same problem should bring it to the attention of the Minister, because while the Minister wants houses built he also wants facilities available to those who live in those houses.
In reply to Senator McGlinchey, the scheme of industrial houses in Letterkenny cannot be built, as I said at the outset, unless it is approved by the local planning authority. The plans have been submitted to the local authority. The ball is in his court. If the scheme is objectionable, they can refuse permission or furthermore appeal to the Minister against granting permission. The width of the roadway was decided by the NBA in consultation with the local officials. The Department's inspector has seen and approved of the plans. I should like to point out that under the previous administration the width of these roads was 18 feet. We have made it 20 feet.
The Parliamentary Secretary did not state where roadways of 18 feet were constructed. It is true to say that during the war housing schemes with 18 feet or indeed 16 feet roadways were permitted. The people living in these areas have suffered ever since. I do not know if the Parliamentary Secretary was present earlier this evening when I gave an example of a housing application made by Letterkenny Urban Council to the Department of Local Government some seven or eight years ago. On that occasion the width of the road was 20 feet. The Department of Local Government refused to sanction it on the grounds that it was much too narrow. The Department then insisted that the width of the roadway should be 24 feet. We now have the situation where possibly in all schemes being built by the NBA roadways are to be 20 feet.
With the parking of cars and so on, this will become a dangerous hazard for young children in the years to come. Now is the time to stop it. I have the feeling that the NBA are still attempting to provide schemes as cheaply as possible. It does not matter which Government are in office, all of us want to see schemes built with the proper amenities for the families that will have to spend the rest of their days in them. If I were playing politics I would have kept quiet at this juncture and waited until the scheme was built and then point out to the Minister the mistakes that were made despite his assurance. This would be very wrong because I accept that everyone in public life, irrespective of his political views, wants to see the people housed, and housed properly. I still think that the standards being set by the National Building Agency throughout the country may require, and I emphasise the word "may", reviewing at this stage before mistakes are made.