asked the Minister for Lands if the Land Commission will reconsider their decision to build houses in County Meath on a contract basis and revert to the direct labour system.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Building of County Meath Houses.
In general the Land Commission find it more satisfactory and cheaper to have houses erected by contract; but quite frequently cases arise in which, owing to special circumstances such as inaccessibility of site or urgency, it is considered more economic to resort to direct labour. During the years 1953 and 1954 the Land Commission used the direct labour method very extensively in County Meath. Owing to the difficulty of getting and retaining skilled labour and owing to the fact that growing competition has led to growing keenness both in prices tendered and in the expeditious completion of contracts, the Land Commission found it advisable to revert largely to the contract system.
Is the Minister not aware that there is no scarcity of skilled labour in County Meath for house building? Is he also not aware that the houses built by direct labour are good houses, and remain good houses for many years, while some of those built by contract recently are already falling down and require almost immediate repair? That being so, will the Minister not again ask the Land Commission to build houses by direct labour?
As I told the Deputy in reply to his question, the Land Commission is only too anxious to avail of direct labour wherever sufficient skilled labour is available to supervise the work. I admit I am surprised to hear that houses built by contract are falling down. Even in the case of houses built by direct labour faults in workmanship cannot always be easily detected during erection. On the whole the work is going ahead satisfactorily. As the Deputy knows, the Land Commission is building houses all over the country and there have not been many complaints about defective work.
Is the Minister not aware that some of the houses that have been built in the last two years by contract in County Meath are already in need of repair? The porches are falling away from the main building. That is a flaw which should be found easily enough even without any technical knowledge. Is it a fact that the Minister cannot get sufficient skilled labour or skilled supervisors? Is it supervisors he needs? I am sure that both can be supplied to him in very big numbers if he requires them.
I will look into the matter.