There are only amendments in the name of the Minister to this section. We have approximately 17 minutes left because I intend to put the vote on section 8 at three minutes to six.
SECTION 14.
I move amendment No. 18:
In page 32, subsection (1), to delete lines 43 to 45 and substitute the following:
"(e) any Minister of the Government who, or any health board, local authority (within the meaning assigned to it by section 2 (2) of the Local Government Act, 1941) or other board or authority, or other similar body, established by or under statute which,".
We made reference to amendment No. 18 earlier in relation to enabling the Revenue Commissioners to get from a health board, through the community welfare officer, the names of landlords whose tenants received rent assistance. However, they refused.
That is not surprising. I had dealings with them when I was Minister for Social Welfare.
They refused.
I believe the Minister.
I understand from my officials that the Department of Social Welfare brought in a wider power. However, there was an anomaly because it was administered by the health boards. A Government of Renewal proposes to transfer the administration of these allowances to the housing authority in due course. It is an anomaly that it is being administered by the health boards. In the interim, we are trying to copperfasten what we are doing vis-�-vis rent allowances and to get a list of landlords. It was outrageous that the health boards refused to give this information. We were legally advised to get those powers.
The Minister's amendment states: "other similar body, established by or under statute which,".
Public body.
It would not include information from the ESB in relation to meters and multi-occupied dwellings.
It is only related to rent.
It is a practical problem if one statutory body knows certain things, but cannot give that information to another statutory body which is being defrauded. The ESB insists that each separate unit in a dwelling has a separate meter.
The ESB is established under statutory law.
It does not give that information to the local authorities, which knows that their planning regulations are being frustrated or breached, or to the health boards, which are being ripped off for rent subsidies. Would there be data protection implications if we did this?
This amendment, which is to be inserted between lines 43 and 45 on page 32 is in respect of information relating to rent. We are not sure if it applies to the ESB.
The ESB has a separate meter for every accommodation unit which is a source of information. Why should we send out inspectors from the Revenue Commissioners when the information is already available in the public sector?
We are amending an existing section.
The point I raised may be dealt with at another stage.
On section 14, information will include rent subsidies from the health boards and local authorities. One body, rather than a multiplicity, should deal with rent subsidies.
The Minister has answered that question.
It should be taken away from the health boards.
The Minister has made reference to that.
Perhaps Deputy McCormack did not hear me, but I said that in A Government of Renewal it was agreed that the administration of rent subsidies currently undertaken by the community welfare officers, and all matters pertaining to housing, would now be administered by the local housing authority.
Will that include some monitoring of the rent relief which is being introduced in this Bill?
Nothing more than they currently have to do as the housing authority.
It is one of the things which will arise in the ongoing administration of that proposal.
We welcome that. The sooner it happens the better. It will make a substantial improvement to the whole relief system.
The whole aspect of rent relief must be considered. If people living, for example, in flats or houses in Galway City become unemployed, they will draw rent relief rather than going back to their own homes, even though they may be from only five miles out the road.
Amendment agreed to.
I move amendment No. 19:
In page 33, subsection (3) (b), line 30, to delete "1995" and substitute "1996".
This is a typographical amendment.
Amendment agreed to.
Section 14, as amended, agreed to.