(Cavan) asked the Minister for Local Government the date on which the erection of a house for a person (name supplied) by Cavan County Council was sanctioned by his Department; the cause of the delay in building the house; if there is difficulty in getting a contractor to construct the house; and, if so, whether, in view of the fact that the family in question are living in appalling conditions, arrangements can be made to have the house constructed by the county council by direct labour.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - County Cavan House.
37.
A proposal by Cavan County Council to accept a tender for this cottage was approved by my Department early in 1969. The contractor withdrew, and the acceptance of another tender was approved in December, 1969. The second contractor failed to complete contract documents and the council re-advertised for tenders on five later occasions without success. However, they have now received a tender for the cottage which is being examined by the county engineer. I will consider on its merits any proposal which may be made to me by the county council for the provision of housing accommodation for this family.
(Cavan): I am grateful to the Minister for his reply. Am I to take it that if this tender now breaks down for one reason or another he will sympathetically entertain an application to provide a house for those unfortunate people by direct labour?
As the Deputy knows, the administration of houses is a matter in which the local authority must take the initiative. I have particular sympathy in this case knowing the circumstances of the family involved and I will certainly give very favourable consideration to any alternative proposals which the council will submit if this contractor, who has now tendered, fails to sign the contract and carry out the work.
(Cavan): While I appreciate that the Minister acts primarily only in a supervisory capacity, would he agree if this contractor does not come up to scratch that the county council should explore the possibility of providing a house by some means other than by contract?
Certainly they should but, of course, there is no reason to even suspect that this contractor may not go ahead with his contract.
(Cavan): This is the seventh one.
I know but I have no indication that there is any doubt about this contractor going ahead with the job. As I told the Deputy, if the local authority decide to take some alternative measures to provide accommodation for this family they will receive very favourable consideration from the Department. There will be no unnecessary delay.
(Cavan): I do not know what information the Minister has before him but it is suggested by the applicant in this case that at least two of those contractors would have gone on with the job if the tender had been sanctioned. A man called Smith was one of them and I am not certain of the name of the other one. Were two of these tenders turned down on grounds of amount?
There were no replies at all to five of the advertisements. It was only to the sixth one that this man replied.
(Cavan): I would ask the Minister to keep in touch with this case and I can assure him that I also will keep in touch with it.