asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware of the inadequacy of present legislation (a) to compensate the tenants of private dwellings who are dispossessed by property speculators and developers or (b) to protect elderly people from the hardship, cost and inconvenience of obtaining alternative accommodation; and if he will introduce amending legislation to ensure full compensation to such tenants commensurate with present day values of housing accommodation in both capital costs and rents.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Compensation for Dispossessed Tenants.
16.
Presumably the Deputy is referring to section 29 (1) (j) of the Rent Restrictions Act, 1960, which allows a landlord to recover possession where it is required in the interests of good estate management or for the erection of further dwellings or for the erection or extension of business premises. Recovery is subject to the landlord being prepared to pay by way of compensation to the tenant such sum as the court considers proper, being not less than three years' rent, including rates, whether or not payable by the tenant. There is also the overriding condition that the court must consider that it is reasonable to make a decree for possession.
The Act has been in operation for over four years and in that time only one complaint has been received by my Department as regards the operation of the provision. In that case the tenant concerned had accepted the alternative accommodation offered without recourse to the court.
On present information, therefore, I do not consider that amending legislation on this point would be justified.
Is the Minister aware that in Dublin at present there are a number of proposals for the acquisition of tenanted cottages where tenants have, in most cases, for a lifetime been paying rent of 6/- or 7/- a week? There are many aged people concerned and these people have had to vacate their properties on receipt of compensation in the region of £300 to £400 when it is impossible to obtain housing accommodation of any type for £300 or £400 and certainly not at a rent of 6/- or 7/- a week. I wonder if the Minister would make his own inquiries about it?
I should certainly be very glad of any particulars but, as I say, our information is that the section is working very well and that only one complaint has come to the Department in the four years and that was one which did not involve a court application which the particular person was entitled to make.
If I collect particulars, would the Minister look at the matter sympathetically?
I shall certainly look into it.