asked the President whether he is aware of the large amount of irrecoverable rates on houses in towns and villages of the Saorstát, which have been allowed to fall into ruin through neglect of their landlords; if legislation will be introduced to compel such landlords to rebuild those houses with a view to giving employment to the large numbers of unemployed, and, in the event of failure to rebuild, to compel them to hand over the sites on which such ruins are situated to the urban council or other public authority for building purposes, free of charge.
WRITTEN ANSWERS. - IRRECOVERABLE RATES.
SEAN O LAIDHIN
It is not at present proposed to introduce legislation on the lines suggested by the Deputy. Under the Housing (Ireland) Act, 1919 (Section 23) local authorities are vested with power to require the owner of any house suitable for occupation by persons of the working classes to make and keep such house in all respects reasonably fit for human habitation. If the owner fails to do so the local authority is empowered to enter and execute the necessary works and to recover the cost thereof in a court of summary jurisdiction. The owner may, however, before the expiration of the local authority's notice to enter, close the house for human habitation. In the latter event, of course, the local authority can exercise, with the approval of the Minister for Local Government and Public Health, compulsory powers of acquisition of the premises under the provisions of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890.