asked the Minister for Local Government the reasons for delaying his approval to the proposal of Cork County Council (West) for the erection of cottages.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - West Cork Cottages.
23.
In December last I was informed by the Western Committee of Cork County Council that having considered the terms of the circular letter issued by my direction in the previous September regarding the desirability in future of providing water and sewerage facilities in rural cottages, they had decided that the cottages to be erected on the sites to be acquired under the West Cork County Health District Compulsory Purchase (Labourers Acts) Order No. 1, 1961, should include provision for the convenient installation of these services in due course. This compulsory purchase order was at the time before me for confirmation and was subsequently confirmed on 28th June, 1962. The decision of the council involved, however, the preparation of new rural cottage plans.
North and south aspect plans were accordingly prepared and submitted to my Department for approval in July, 1962. The south aspect plan was approved on 14th August, 1962, and at the same time the housing authority was advised that the north aspect plan was not entirely satisfactory. On 1st October, 1962, revised plans for both north and south aspect cottages were again submitted. While these plans were found to be generally in order, certain technical re-arrangements were recommended to the housing authority on 19th October, 1962.
When does the Minister think he will be in a position to give final approval, because the matter has been delayed considerably as a result of difficulties that have arisen in the Department about some small technical matters, I understand?
From the information I have before me at the moment, I may say that it should not take any more than a matter of a week or so to clear all these matters. In fact it may well be that these small matters are now satisfactorily cleared, even at this moment.
That is good enough.