asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will take steps to provide for a general revision of rents on recently erected cottages in rural areas and on those at present under construction as in the very depressed state of the agricultural industry, which has caused unemployment and the lowering of wages, farm labourers are unable to pay any higher rents than the tenants of the older cottages are paying.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Rents of Labourers' Cottages.
The fixing of rents of cottages provided under the Labourers Acts is a matter in the first instance to be dealt with by the local authority concerned by regulations to be made by them under Section 29 of the Act of 1906 which are subject to confirmation by the Minister for Local Government and Public Health. Such rents also require the Minister's approval for the purposes of the Housing (Loan Charges Contributions) Regulations, 1932. Section 29 of the Act of 1906 provides that the rents shall be fixed so as to secure a reasonable return having regard to the circumstances of the locality affected on the expenditure of the local authority.