asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state (a) the total number of tenement houses in Dublin condemned as unfit or unsafe; (b) how many of these are still occupied by tenants; (c) how many of these condemned tenements are Corporation property; and (d) the total number of people living in these houses.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - TENEMENT HOUSES IN DUBLIN.
It has been ascertained from the City Commissioners that there are thirty-three tenement houses reported by the Building Surveyor as dangerous. Five are the property of the Dublin Corporation, having been acquired in connection with slum clearance schemes. The total number of persons living in the thirty-three houses is not available, but they are occupied by 132 families.
Since March, 1924, 380 families have been removed from dangerous tenements, 260 being rehoused in Corporation dwellings. About 50 of the 59 houses recently built on Fairbrother's Field were utilised for this purpose.
In re housing, the Commissioners give first consideration to families occupying houses structurally dangerous. They have ordered that no vacancy in any of their cheaper dwellings is to be filled except from dangerous houses. It is part of the Commissioners' policy also to induce persons living in low-rented Corporation houses to transfer to better types so that vacancies so arising may be made available for persons from dangerous houses.
Do the figures given by the Minister include tenement property which is unfit from the point of view of sanitary accommodation, or do they only cover dangerous cases?
The figures only cover houses that are dangerous. If figures are asked for in respect of houses that are considered insanitary it will be necessary to make a more detailed classification of these houses. If the Deputy wants that information perhaps he would put down a separate question.
I submit that my question particularly embodies unfit and unsafe premises.
It was difficult to know exactly what was embodied in the question when the word "condemned" was brought in, but the figures that have been given are those of premises that have been definitely condemned as being dangerous. Houses might be classified as unsanitary without being condemned. If the Deputy wants any further information with regard to insanitary houses perhaps he will put down another question.
I would like to know if the question refers also to houses in Crumlin. The reason I ask is that some people were living in condemned houses——
Crumlin is not included in Dublin.
The question does not refer to it?
Only to Dublin.