asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware that the building of urgently needed cottages is being delayed in a number of districts by Dublin County Council on the ground that such building must await the arrival of the North County Dublin regional water scheme in these districts; and if he will indicate his willingness to sanction immediate building in all such areas, pending the arrival of this water supply.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Dublin Cottages.
25.
I understand from Dublin County Council that there is no question of the building of urgently needed cottages being delayed at present pending the availability of piped water from the North Dublin regional water supply scheme, and that it is their policy, in cases where such a difficulty might arise, to acquire sites for which a temporary water supply can be obtained from local sources.
As regards general policy in this matter, I have already indicated my willingness to sanction immediate building in such areas and last January I arranged a meeting between officers of the council and of my Department at which full agreement was reached on interim policies to be recommended in regard to the provision of cottages in areas where full services are not immediately available. I have since given approval to a number of schemes of potentially-serviceable cottages in the North County Dublin area and I will give sympathetic consideration to any further similar proposals which may be submitted by the council.
Would the Minister say what temporary services are involved? Would that mean, say, the proximity of a pump or something more or less than that?
Or the possibility of obtaining water from a local source.
If that were possible, the North County Dublin scheme would not be necessary at all.
We are only speaking here about places where cottages are urgently needed.
Like Lusk? Will the Minister tell me about that? What is going to happen there?
If a suitable site and a temporary source of water can be obtained, cottages will be provided there.
Will a pump do?
If the Deputy would, in fact, keep in touch with matters happening in his constituency——
It is a sore trouble to the Minister that I am too much in touch.
I appreciate he may not have as much contact with his constituency as other Deputies, but he may have seen in last Saturday's Drogheda Independent where his colleagues, Deputy Burke and Deputy Foley, were informed that these interim arrangements had already been made.