asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will arrange to review the regulations under which building licences are at present issued by his Department in order that the volume of skilled labour available for local authority building and the building of grant houses may be increased.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Issue of Building Licences.
In exercising the powers conferred on me by the Control of Building Order, my aim from the outset was to ensure that the volume of non-essential building work in progress at any one time is not so great as to interfere with the execution of the housing schemes of local authorities and the erection of houses for which grants can be secured under the Housing Acts.
Licences cannot be granted at present to authorise all the building work which promoters seek to undertake. The issue of building licences is severely restricted for work of the following classes:—(a) the erection of large houses, particularly in the Dublin area; (b) work on hotels; (c) work on cinemas and other buildings for recreational purposes; (d) shops; (e) offices and (f) warehouses.
The issue of licences has to be deferred for much of the work sought to be done on schools, churches and convents.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that there is public disquiet at the diversion of skilled labour caused by the building projects not calculated to relieve the housing shortage? The public mind is concerned with when the licences were issued.
As I told the Deputy, building licences are severely restricted for all non-essential work and unless that work is prohibited altogether no further restrictions would ease the position. There is no shortage either of materials or of labour for essential schemes.
Dublin Corporation would not agree with the Parliamentary Secretary, I am afraid.