asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that owing to the expiration of the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Acts, 1923 to 1926, in their application to dwelling houses, the standard rent or rateable value of which exceeds £25, but does not exceed £40, the eviction, or threatened eviction, of tenants who occupy such dwelling houses has become a matter for grave consideration, and that complaints of harsh dealing by landlords with such tenants, are very numerous; and what steps, if any, the Minister proposes to take to prevent undue hardship on tenants, having regard to the notable shortage of alternative housing accommodation for such tenants.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - INCREASE OF RENTS ACT.
I am aware that after the 24th June next no house whose rateable value exceeds £25 will be entitled to the protection of the Acts cited in the question, but I am not aware that there is a notable shortage of houses of that size. As regards houses whose valuation exceeds £25, I do not propose to consider to what extent the relationship between landlord and tenant should be interfered with by further legislation except in so far as such relationship comes under review by the Town Tenants' Commission.
Mr. BYRNE
Is the Minister aware that at present landlords in certain districts in Dublin have brought in builders to give them an estimate for the alteration of such houses into flats, and that the tenants of them are now competing for the smaller type of house with those who are already very badly in need of housing accommodation? With a view to stopping those landlords from altering the houses into flats and putting out the tenants, does he not consider it is desirable to give them the same protection as the smaller type of house?
I am not aware of the facts mentioned, and without posing as a specialist on the subject, I should have thought that a house valued at £25 would not be a house which would be very easily convertible into flats.
Mr. BYRNE
In the County Dublin at present, in Pembroke and Rathmines district, a good many tenants of houses valued at £25 and £30 are practically under notice to quit owing to speculative builders buying up the houses with a view to converting them into flats with a view to getting £200 and £300 per year out of a house that at present is set for £80 or £90?