andLarkin asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware that a number of tenants of cottages at St. Brendan's Terrace, Coolock, County Dublin are anxious to purchase their dwellings under the terms of the Labourers Acts; and if, in view of the fact that these cottages were built and tenanted by Dublin County Council through the provisions of these Acts, he will arrange with Dublin Corporation to enable such tenants to exercise their purchase rights.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Coolock (Dublin) Cottages.
8.
I am not so aware. I understand that these cottages are situated on land which formed part of the 1953 extension of the city of Dublin. The county council were required under the Housing (Amendment) Act, 1950, to notify the tenants, at the time of the boundary extension, of their right to purchase their cottages under the Labourers Act, 1936. Apparently some of the tenants did not avail themselves of the right to purchase and this right lapsed when the cottages were transferred by the county council to the corporation in 1958. It is open to Dublin Corporation to consider the formulation of a purchase scheme for these cottages under the Housing of the Working Classes Acts or under the new Housing Bill when it becomes law.
Is the Minister aware that the grade of differential rents applicable to these cottages is at the county council level as distinct from the corporation level? This would seem to indicate there is still a tie, remote though it may be, with the county council. In view of the fact that the suggestion in his reply indicates the operation of lengthy and, indeed, unwieldy machinery, would the Minister not consider it would be no more than socially desirable that a small amendment of the Act be introduced to enable this small group of tenants to buy out these cottages which were not originally corporation houses but were erected and tenanted by the county council?
We can look into that. However, I am not holding out a great deal of hope that we would be prepared to do it.
Might I ask the Minister if he would bear in mind the fact that this is probably the only such case in existence in the country? That might be all the more reason why they should be facilitated.
I will take all those things into consideration.