asked the Minister for Local Government the date on which lay-out plans from Dublin County Council for 140 houses for Cabinteely, County Dublin, reached his Department; and when he expects to be in a position to announce his decision on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Dublin Housing Schemes.
15.
A layout plan for the scheme was received in my Department on 19th February, 1965. The housing authority were asked on 30th April, 1965, for a report from the Planning Officer on the possible development of adjoining lands and its effects on the layout. When this report is received the proposal will be further considered.
Does that scheme include the provision of a park or playing pitch?
That is probably one of the matters we hope to have cleared by reference to the planning officer.
In the circumstances in which we find ourselves in County Dublin, could matters of this kind not be settled more expeditiously between the engineers of the Department and the county council? It takes two months for the Department and, apparently, three months for the county council to deal with these matters.
It is conceivable that these matters could be settled more quickly, and in my most recent circular to the local housing authorities, I have set out my wish that, where at all possible, discussion should take place rather than writing to and fro as may have been the case all too often in the past.
16.
asked the Minister for Local Government the dates on which he received applications from Dublin County Council for sanction to purchase sites for houses in (a) Portrane, (b) Ballyboden, (c) Ashtown, and (d) Newcastle, County Dublin; and when he expects to be in a position to give his decision on them.
The applications for approval to the acquisition of sites for housing at Portrane, Ballyboden, Ashtown, and Newcastle were received on 23rd November, 1964, 10th December, 1964, 16th February, 1965 and 23rd March, 1965, respectively. My Department transmitted to the council the results of my technical advisers' examination of these several proposals on various dates in March, April and May. The position now is that under the revised procedures on housing set out in a circular letter of 24th May, 1965, to all housing authorities, my sanction to the acquisitions in question is no longer necessary.
Is the Minister aware that no later than last Friday evening we in the county council got a report from the manager that all these items were still with the Department?
In the physical sense, that statement could be correct in that the proposals still may have been with us on Friday, but the matters with which these proposals dealt were covered in the circular letter of 24th May which clearly sets out that no longer will they be required to be sanctioned by me.
Is the term "physical lie" unparliamentary?
We shall try that some other time.