asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware that Galway County Council require persons who apply for houses in rural areas to supply "suitable sites"; if he is further aware that this condition is contrary to the Housing Acts and is prohibitive in many cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - County Galway Rural Housing.
427.
I am not so aware.
Under the provisions of the Housing Acts, it is incumbent on local housing authorities to assess the housing needs of their functional areas, to prepare building programmes to meet these needs and to allocate houses in accordance with the statutory schemes of letting priorities. In carrying out their programmes, authorities must have regard to the amount of the capital resources available and to the need to make the most economic use of such resources. In this regard, it has been the policy for a number of years to encourage the building of local authority dwellings in groups integrated with existing communities and to provide isolated dwellings in rural areas only in special cases of particular need.
I understand from Galway County Council that, where it is necessary for them to provide isolated dwellings, they are generally provided on suitable sites supplied by the applicants themselves at low cost. However, where suitable sites are not available, efforts are made to obtain alternative sites from other sources (such as from the Land Commission etc.) or the applicant is offered alternative housing in local towns or villages.