asked the Minister for Local Government the number of county council cottages in County Kerry in respect of which he has determined the repairs to be carried out and where repairs have not been carried out; if he will arrange with the county council for the repair of those cottages immediately; and whether he will state the present position on the matter.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Kerry Council Cottages Repairs.
23.
In the current year I have decided that repairs were necessary in the case of five appeals from persons vesting their cottages in County Kerry. The execution of repairs is a matter for each local authority. The other information requested by the Deputy is, therefore, not available in my Department.
Would the Minister say whether there has been any change in the position whereby cottages on appeal were inspected after repair by the officials of the county council who originally said that they did not need any repair?
The position is that the function of the Minister for Local Government is to decide such appeals. If he decides that repairs are necessary there is a legal obligation on the council concerned and if they do not comply with it there is a remedy.
But the Minister is aware that it is the official who originally inspected the cottage and said that no repairs were necessary who will examine the repairs and he will certainly not say that they were not carried out properly?
This may have happened in certain cases but the extent of the responsibility of the Minister for Local Government is as I have indicated.