asked the Minister for Local Government whether local authorities are empowered to provide internal water supplies and sanitation services for tenants of vested cottages; and, if not, whether it is intended to introduce proposals for legislation to permit local authorities to do so.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Vested Cottages: Water Supplies and Sanitation Services.
28.
A local authority is not empowered under the Housing Acts to incur expenditure on the provision of internal services in vested labourers' cottages. On the information before me, I consider that it would be more appropriate to facilitate the provision of these services by the purchasers of these cottages than to amend the law as suggested by the Deputy.
Do I understand, therefore, that the Minister does not contemplate any amendment of the law which would facilitate the alienation of the vested cottage as a guarantee of payment for any works undertaken by the county council on behalf of the vested tenant?
I am afraid the Deputy will have to repeat the question.
I am trying to get clarification of this matter. I understand the difficulty of the county council at the moment is that it cannot lay water or sanitation services to vested cottages because the owner of the vested cottage can alienate the property of the county council in respect of payment for work undertaken by the council in the installation of the water or sanitation services. I understood the Minister to say he was giving some consideration to permitting the tenants of the vested cottages to repay the county council for that work, and that he could give the cottage in as collateral security for the money spent by the county council. Does the Minister not propose to facilitate the tenant by amending the existing legislation and thus permitting him to offer the cottage as security?
The Deputy is aware that what we have done so far has made it possible for the tenants to avail of the rents, combined or separate, for sewerage and water installation. In addition, six or seven months ago, I indicated that the question of making loans for repairs to the cottages vested in the owners was something which I was considering and, in fact, I intend to do, at the first available opportunity, which will be the Housing Bill of 1962, due to come before the House in a couple of months. As I say, I have already indicated that and I now reiterate that promise.
May I take it, therefore, that what the Minister has now said means that the law, as it stands at the moment, will not be amended but that if these services are to be taken into the house by the vested tenant, it should be done by means of the existing water and sewerage grants or by the scheme of loans which the Minister contemplates?
Or probably a combination of both.
There will be no amendment of the law in the sense originally contemplated?
Contemplated by whom?
I understand it was contemplated by the Department, in consultation with the managers.
No-on the loan question, yes, but not on the matter of requiring the council to pay, after giving the tenant title to the cottage.
Then councils may plan on the assumption that there will be no amendment of the law on the lines I have indicated?
The Deputy is aware that his county council in Kildare have done a rather unique thing in that they have serviced a number of those cottages by the provision of a special rate. That rate is calculable in law and enforceable in law but in fact it is not forthcoming, despite the fact that it was promised by those who got the service.