asked the Minister for Lands if he is aware that houses in the possession of the Land Commission in County Mayo are deteriorating; and if he will take immediate action to have them allocated to the people most in need of housing.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mayo Houses.
13.
The Land Commission's primary function is, of course, land settlement.
Very often, the disposal of houses is inextricably bound up with the disposal of the lands on which they stand. The Deputy himself will appreciate that this is especially the case where the rearrangement of fragmented holdings is envisaged when lands, and any houses thereon, are necessarily held on hands pending the accumulation of a pool of land to facilitate the formulation of a scheme for rearrangement.
There are standing instructions to the effect that houses which come into the possession of the Land Commission, and are not required for land settlement purposes, should be disposed of promptly and that all houses on hands should be maintained in good condition.
Indeed, on two occasions since my appointment and most recently two months ago, I have expressed my concern about this matter to senior officers of my Department and have directed them to consider ways and means for the more rapid disposal of houses on hands.