asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state, in expansion of a reply of 5th May, 1964 regarding the formulation of housing proposals by local authorities, (a) the procedure in operation immediately prior to 1956, (b) the procedure in operation in the period 1956-1960 and (c) the text of the appropriate circular letters.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Formulation of Housing Proposals.
11.
The procedure in operation prior to 1956 regarding the formulation of housing proposals was governed by a large number of circular letters which had been issued over the years. It would be impracticable to give the text of these circulars, details of which, from 1950-51 onwards, were published in the Department's Annual Reports. In general, the assessment of housing needs at that time was largely left to the housing authorities themselves.
In the period from 1956 to 1960 housing authorities were required to submit to the Department detailed particulars justifying needs in respect of group housing schemes and programmes of isolated rural cottages. This requirement was operated administratively in relation to each proposal submitted and was not covered by any general circular letter.
I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to circulate with the Official Report a copy of the circular letter of 12th October, 1960, N.4/60 in which this requirement was revoked.
The text of the circular letter is as follows:
Housing Needs.
A Chara,
I am directed by the Minister for Local Government to state that he has decided that henceforth it will not be necessary for housing authorities to submit to the Department detailed particulars justifying needs in respect of group housing schemes or specific programmes of isolated cottages where the lettings of the dwellings when completed will be made to tenants displaced from reserved houses or to persons of the special class or displaced persons as defined in the Housing (Management and Letting) Regulations, 1950 and 1953. Instead, the Manager will submit, with proposals for new buildings, a certificate to the effect (a) that the proposed dwellings are required to meet the needs of families in the foregoing categories when account has been taken of the general housing position of the area, including the number of vacancies arising in the existing housing estate of the housing authority, and particularly of the possibility of arranging tenancy exchanges to reduce as far as possible any existing under-utilisation of the living accommodation available in the housing estate; and (b) that directions have been given for the initiation of the necessary statutory operations (by service of repair, demolition, closure or abatement of overcrowding orders, etc., as may be appropriate) which constitute the basis of the building proposals. The Manager will be expected subsequently to satisfy himself, before a housing scheme is actually undertaken, that the housing requirements which were the original justification of the scheme still exist. Proposals based on this procedure may be prepared and submitted in advance of the survey requested in this Department's Circular Letter of 14th May, 1960.
As regards private housing needs, action should be taken, as already recommended by the Minister, to provide developed sites, where necessary, and to make available the grant and loan facilities authorised by the Housing Acts for private persons willing to build houses for themselves. The possibility of encouraging existing tenants or persons eligible for tenancy of local authority dwellings to provide housing for themselves should be actively investigated with due regard in particular to the stimulus which can be given to such housing by making available supplementary grants as provided for in Section 11 of the Housing (Amendment) Act, 1952.
Housing authorities that have implemented or are effectively implementing the foregoing major phases of housing policy may now consider it opportune to formulate proposals to meet other types of needs which will generally qualify for recoupment of one-third of subsidisable loan charges. Approval may be sought to such proposals in respect of persons of the working classes or agricultural labourers, in any urban area or any town or other built-up area in a county health district, where the Manager certifies that the rehousing needs of persons within the priority classes have been or are in course of being met and that the persons to whom the proposals relate have satisfied the housing authority that they are unable to build or reconstruct houses for themselves with the aid of the various forms of assistance available for private enterprise or otherwise are not in a position to obtain suitable housing accommodation having regard to the extent to which private or local authority housing is available. The actual housing need in each case should be substantiated by reference to such factors as lack of a separate dwelling, number in family, number of rooms occupied, dwelling facilities shared with other families, etc. The housing authority should, in dealing with cases of this kind, examine all the considerations in the light of the Minister's circular letter of 11 Lúnasa, 1960, to the recently elected members of local authorities and, before accepting responsibility, pursue lines of inquiry similar to those set out in Section 14 of the Housing (Amendment) Act, 1948.
In seeking prior approval for provision in areas other than built-up areas in county health districts of cottages for agricultural labourers who are not living in unfit dwellings or statutorily overcrowded conditions, the housing authority should bear in mind that such proposals must be considered with due regard to the extent to which the housing authority is meeting its statutory responsibilities to deal with rural families still living in such conditions.
Mise, le meas,
J. GARVIN.
To each Housing Authority.