asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state whether the North Cork Committee of Health wired council cottages free in areas where the rural electrification scheme is in operation and whether he will notify the South Cork Committee of Health that they are entitled to wire the cottages in the Riverstown area free of charge to the tenants should they so desire.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Rural Electrification.
I understand that in some areas in North Cork the cost of installing electricity in council cottages was met out of the council's revenue account. It is open to any local authority to finance such works out of current revenue and my approval is not required for such expenditure. Where amenities of this kind are provided, the usual practice followed by local authorities is to require the tenants of the cottages to bear a reasonable proportion of the cost by way of increased rents. The matter is, however, one for the local authority.