asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether his Department has recently refused sanction to the acquisition by agreement of certain sites for labourers' cottages by the Roscommon Board of Health and, if so, whether he will state the reason for such refusal.
Ceisteanna.—Questions. Oral Answers. - Labourers' Cottage Sites in Roscommon.
The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The Roscommon Board of Health and Public Assistance put forward a scheme for the acquisition of land for the building of 57 labourers' cottages. The prices proposed to be paid for the land, which were in some cases as high as £150 and £180 per acre, were considered excessive and the Board were informed that on this account their proposals could not be sanctioned and they were advised that if suitable sites could not be obtained by agreement at more reasonable prices resort should be had to the compulsory powers conferred on local authorities by the Housing (Financial and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1932. At their meeting on the 4th instant the Board decided to take steps at once for the making of Compulsory Purchase Orders for the acquisition of the land required for their scheme of 100 cottages.
Arising out of that reply, may I ask the Minister (a) whether he is certain that those prices he has quoted of £160 and £180 an acre were actually asked, and (b) for how much of the land those prices were asked, because my information is quite different from that.
I had it on the authority of the Department that those prices were asked, but I do not know for how much of the land.
Would the Minister be so kind as to look into the matter again when I will communicate with him privately on the subject?