asked the Minister for Lands if he is aware of the deplorable condition of the houses of the tenants who live in the bog portion on the Bomford Estate at Drumlargan, Kilcock, County Meath, and whether, in view of their inability, through poverty and lack of equipment, to avail themselves of the grant through the Land Commission to build houses, he will have steps taken to provide houses for them on the same basis as other tenants on newly-divided estates are provided with houses.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Meath Tenants.
asked the Minister for Lands if he is aware of the insanitary and dilapidated condition of many small farmers' houses in the country and of the inability of the occupants to provide any of the money necessary to meet the cost of erection of new houses; and if, in view of this situation, he will sponsor a scheme whereby the Land Commission will erect new houses on such farms, the cost of erection to be recouped on the annuity basis, such annuity to be additional to the ordinary Land Commission rent in respect of the holding.
I propose to take together the Deputy's two questions relative to housing operations by the Land Commission.
In the case of the Bomford Estate, the holdings were vested in the tenants on 22nd February, 1929, and it is not the practice of the Land Commission to make free grants for the erection of houses on vested holdings. Housing assistance is provided by the State under the provisions of the various Housing Acts administered by the Department of Local Government and Public Health and grants made under those Acts may be supplemented in suitable cases by advances sanctioned by the Land Commission and repayable with the borrowers' annuities.
As regards the general question of housing, I am not prepared to sponsor such a scheme as the Deputy suggests. The proper function of the Land Commission is the carrying out of the process of land purchase and land settlement, not of general agricultural housing. Such building operations as the Land Commission undertake are incidental to land settlement and confined thereto.