asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he proposes to make provisions in this year's Estimates for moneys, and, if so, how much, for the building and repairing of houses by small farmers and labourers in County Leitrim, with a view to providing these people with the same or equal facilities as granted for this purpose by the Congested Districts Board.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Leitrim Housing.
Provision cannot be made for any amounts other than those referable to existing enactments.
Does not the Minister consider it equitable to make provision for the purpose of assisting the reconstruction of houses in the Co. Leitrim so as to leave the people in the possession of what they had prior to the taking over of the old Congested Districts Board by the Land Commission?
Do I understand the Deputy to speak of the reconstruction of houses?
That is what my question referred to.
Such powers as there were for reconstruction under the Housing Acts were dropped in the recent Housing Act, and no power exists at the present time to give assistance for the reconstruction of houses.
Surely the Minister should consider this matter and make provision for the Co. Leitrim and reestablish the facilities that existed prior to the abolition of the Congested Districts Board, which gave these facilities for reconstruction to the people. That abolition took place about six years ago, and since then the people have been deprived of the privilege which they enjoyed for that purpose.
The Deputy is asking me about a matter entirely outside the present statutory power, so far as the Department of Local Government and Public Health is concerned.
Would it not be within the power of the Department to ask for a grant in this year's Estimates to make up for the difficulties which the people of Leitrim have to suffer in consequence of the abolition of the facilities they previously enjoyed?
From the introduction of the Housing Act, 1924, the sum of £26,000 odd has been given to Leitrim towards the building of houses, and upwards of 4,000 were built there.
The Minister will understand that the expenditure of that sum of money does not at all touch the people to whom I referred in the question—namely, the poorer classes of the people.