asked the Minister for Local Government if he will give an estimate of the cost of repairing local authority houses damaged during recent storms.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Authority House Repairs.
84.
This information is not available in my Department.
Perhaps the Minister could indicate to us whether he will be getting an estimate sometime in the near future. I am sure the Minister is aware that severe damage has been done to a large number of local authority houses throughout the country.
That is a completely separate question.
I am sure the Minister is aware of the great concern being expressed at the cost of repairing these houses.
The Deputy knows quite well that is elaborating on the question.
I am asking the Minister if he would wish to comment on this and whether he would give some assurance to the local authorities that some compensation would be made.
Deputy Molloy should remember that it is a matter for the local authorities concerned in the first instance. If a local authority want to make representation to the Department of Local Government, we would consider whether we are entitled to do anything about it. He does not expect me to go around and count every house that was damaged throughout the country, which is what he is suggesting. I could tell him that some of the houses built in his low cost schemes had chimneys blown off and will have to be repaired whether we like it or not.
Are we to take it the Minister does not wish to interfere in any way in this question of damage?
These are all separate questions.
Is he aware that the tenants' associations are completely dissatisfied with his attitude? Has he received representations from the tenants' associations?
I know the tenants in Galway are not very happy with Deputy Molloy's attitude or with the type of houses he built when he was Minister.
That is untrue.
It is not.
It is. The Minister has obligations in this matter which he should honour.
We are getting away from Question Time.
Are we to take it that the Minister was telling us chimneys were blown off houses built under the low cost scheme but that no damage was done to houses other than those built under that scheme?
I was not.
If he is not saying that what was the point of his remarks?
The point of my remark was to point out to Deputy Molloy that during the period he was Minister for Local Government if he were as anxious to see that things were done properly as he appears to be now things would not have been so bad during the recent storm.
To use the words of the Minister for Labour, no reasonable person would believe that story. I should like the Minister to clarify whether he said that chimneys were blown off——
The Chair insists that we move to Question No. 85.
When you could not stick chimneys on you provided houses without chimneys.