asked the Minister for Local Government whether he has received complaints from tenants of the Dublin Corporation housing scheme at Milltown, County Dublin, in regard to the lack of public services over a long period; and whether it has yet been determined whether the Dublin Corporation or the Dublin County Council is responsible for these services, and, if not, if he will take steps to ensure that essential services are provided immediately, pending such decision.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Dublin Houses: Public Services.
A complaint was received in November last from the tenants' association. I understand that any matters outstanding between the corporation and the county council in regard to the maintenance of the services have since been disposed of.
Is the Minister aware that the Dublin Corporation referred these tenants to the Dublin County Council and that the Dublin County Council referred them back to the Dublin Corporation and is he further aware that, since he received the correspondence in November last, the public services have not been given to these tenants and that one item, the cleansing of the streets, has not been attended to for at least 48 weeks? Will the Minister order that somebody will look after these services for these people?
Does the Deputy suggest that the Minister should compel the county council to do something which they do not wish to do? I am informed that agreement has been entered into between the parties and all outstanding grievances have now been settled. I am further informed that when the tenants' association in November last complained about the state of the roads and the surface water courses, the county council agreed to take over the roads, and that the corporation had attended to various items, including the removal of stones, clearing of surface water, water gulleys, and a general tidying up of the estate. When the corporation had done that, the county council were prepared to take them over. That was the agreement entered into. I have no method of compelling them to effect the terms of the agreement which they freely entered into.
Arising further out of the Minister's reply, surely if some authority collects the rates and the rents from those tenants, somebody, pending settlement between the two bodies, should attend to these services? My information is that up to a few days ago the roads have not been cleaned, and the services have not been given to these people. I wonder would the Minister even write to one of the local authorities and ask them to attend to this urgent matter in the meantime?
The Deputy appreciates that when I write to one of the local authorities the Deputy and his colleagues are the first to object to my interfering in these matters.
The point is that these people have been paying rates and rents, and nobody will accept responsibility for giving them the ordinary services. All I want is that the Minister should urge Dublin Corporation to attend to this matter pending the taking over by the other authority.
That is not the question the Deputy asked. If the Deputy had asked me that question it would be a different matter. You asked me to see that essential services were provided. The Deputy could, through the members of the local authority, insist that the local authorities do their job in connection with this matter.
Both public authorities deny responsibility. The tenants wrote to the Dublin Corporation on the 22nd October last, and they said: "This area is in charge of Dublin County Council and not the Dublin Corporation."
That is correct.
I am afraid the Deputy is a little bit out of date. Actually on the 18th of this month, three days ago, the assistant county manager made a formal order for the taking over of the roads as the result of representations made by me.
When was that question put down?
The Deputy knows when the question was put down better than I do.