asked the Minister for Finance if he can state the date when the Board of Works received the first application from the Tullamore Urban District Council for a building site, the date when the rent was fixed, by agreement; whether he is aware that the building scheme is being held up owing to the failure of his Department to hand over possession of the building site, and whether he will now issue instructions to have the site made available for the Council's contractor without any more unnecessary delay.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - TULLAMORE BUILDING SCHEME.
This question no doubt refers to the site of the ex-R.I.C. Barrack at Tullamore.
The Tullamore Urban District Council's first inquiry about the property was received by the Commissioners of Public Works on the 30th June, 1925.
The question of making a lease of the site was held up for over twelve months pending the completion of negotiations with the head landlord regarding a claim for compensation for the destruction of the buildings for the acquisition of the fee simple interest of the property.
Furthermore, portion of the site was needed for a Gárda Síochána Barrack, and the requirements of the Gárdaí were not defined until January, 1927.
Provisional agreement with regard to the rent to be paid by the Council for the balance of the site was reached on the 21st June, 1927, and the approval of the Department of Local Government and Public Health to the Council's Housing scheme was communicated by the Council to the Commissioners of Public Works on the 10th August, 1927.
The terms of the lease had then to be submitted for the sanction of the Minister for Finance and the Oireachtas in accordance with the requirements of the State Lands Act, 1924.
These requirements have not yet been fulfilled. The terms of letting provisionally agreed have been approved by the Minister for Finance except in one detail which is being communicated to the Council, and until agreement is reached with the Council on this detail and the sanction of the Oireachtas, required in the terms of Section 2 of the State Lands Acts, 1924, is obtained, possession of the site cannot legally be given.
When does the Parliamentary Secretary hope to be in a position to hand over possession of this site? Does he realise that it is holding up a building scheme which will, when started, give employment to 25 men for at least four or five months? Are we to understand that this is the most effective way by which his Department can assist in solving the housing problem?
Mr. BOURKE
The Deputy is just as responsible for the State Lands Act as any member of the Government Party. We can only carry out our operations in conformity with that Act.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary quite sure that I am responsible for the red tape of the Department which he controls?