Vol. 403 No. 2
15 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for the Environment his decision/response to the detailed plan submitted by Dublin Corporation's housing architects for the rehousing of the Sheriff Street tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
102 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for the Environment if he will use the powers available to him under the Derelict Sites Act, 1990, to instruct CIE to dispose of lands off Seville Place, Dublin 1 which are lying derelict and are surplus to the company's needs and are required by Dublin Corporation for housing purposes, in order to relocate the tenants of Sheriff Street, Dublin 1.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 102 together. I would refer the Deputy to the reply to Question Nos. 5 and 16 of 10 July 1990.
The plan submitted by Dublin Corporation does not require my approval at this stage but I have written to my colleague, the Minister for Tourism and Transport, seeking his assistance in getting CIE agreement to make land in their ownership, identified by the corporation in their plan as suitable for housing, available to the corporation at an early date. I am awaiting the outcome of this approach. Apart from that, approval has issued to the specific housing schemes identified by the corporation for financing from the £1 million allocation in 1990 for the rehousing of tenants from the Sheriff Street Flats.
Since the corporation's architects' plan was submitted on 20 June 1990 no response has been received from the Department indicating that the Minister supports in principle, the contents of the submission. May I now ask the Minister if he would indicate his own support, in principle, for Dublin Corporation's plan to rehouse tenants from Sheriff Street?
We received the plan to which the Deputy has referred which identifies certain sites and existing houses which might be acquired but the plan does not require my formal approval in this regard. On the contrary, we have been very supportive in so far as we are trying to get my colleague to negotiate with CIE to make available certain parcels of land, if possible, to accommodate what we regard as the reform programme for housing in the Sheriff Street area. I hope they will be successful.
May I take it from the Minister's final comment that he agrees in principle with the plan? He has refused to say whether he does or does not, which I am sure leaves the tenants in Sheriff Street very uneasy about the future. As the Minister has indicated, much of the land in question is in the ownership of CIE. If CIE do not respond to the Minister's colleague's requests, having regard to the fact that the land is derelict and surplus to the needs of CIE, would the Minister be prepared to consider using his own powers under the Derelict Sites Act to encourage CIE to dispose of the land so that the corporation can acquire it for rehousing purposes?
I took particular interest in derelict sites which might be included on the derelict sites register but I should point out that there are no such sites in the Sheriff Street area on the register at this time.
Deputy Gregory rose.
I want to deal with other questions also and I need the Deputy's assistance in that regard.
Given that the land in question has been derelict for many years — I am sure the officials of the Department would confirm this — is not in use and is surplus to the needs of CIE——
Ceist, a Theachta.
——and having regard to the fact that specific powers are available to the Minister under the Derelict Sites Act which he could use to force CIE to dispose of this land——
A question, please.
——will the Minister at least make some inquiries to see if he can use his powers to force CIE to dispose of the land so that the corporation can acquire it for rehousing purposes?
I should make it quite clear that under section 13 of the Derelict Sites Act, 1990, the Minister has power to direct a statutory body to dispose of their interest in a derelict site entered on the relevant local authority derelict sites register. Before the Minister can give such a direction he has to be satisfied that the land in question is not being used by the statutory authority in the performance of their functions and is unlikely to be required for that purpose. The Minister must also, of course, consult with the Minister responsible for the statutory body and consider any objections which may have been made so far as the proposal is concerned. As I said, the register of derelict sites currently being compiled by Dublin Corporation does not have any land in the Sheriff Street area entered on it as yet.
Would the Minister not agree that the people of Sheriff Street have been treated in a disgraceful way by both the Minister and his Department? Having regard to the relationship between the tenants and the Financial Services Centre and the speed at which developments are taking place there, would the Minister not agree that what he is doing is following a policy of dispersement and that he has no intention of facilitating the rehousing of the Sheriff Street residents within their parish as they have requested?
That is not so.
It is.
On the contrary, £1 million has been allocated specifically in the corporation's 1990 capital allocation for the Sheriff Street project. The intention was that this money would be spent in the North Wall parish to acquire any available property or houses identified in the plan. Certain schemes have been attended to in that way, including the Oriel Street scheme and the 35 house scheme — phase 2 — at Portland Row as well as some private dwellings. As funds become available I will be quite happy to facilitate the rehousing of the Sheriff Street tenants as early as possible.
Would the Minister not agree——
A very brief question, Deputy, as I am going to another question shortly.
Would the Minister not agree that we are speaking here about a minimum of 340 families in the Sheriff Street complex and that the £1 million he speaks about will go nowhere near providing alternative accommodation for 340 families having regard to the amount of semi-derelict private housing in the area? In general, £1 million is insignificant given the numbers wishing to be rehoused within the parish.
I accept that it was never intended that £1 million would satisfy the requirements, but what I am saying is that it was a start and it will have to be added to. The question of the purchase of sites is the one Deputy Gregory is trying to pursue and I think the answer he has been given will enable him to pursue it in a more positive way. I hope we will get a positive response, through my colleague, so far as the disposal of some of the CIE property there is concerned. That would provide the added impetus to provide extra funds, as required, to deal with the matter on a continuing basis.
May I ask the Minister, again, if he would at least support in principle the submission made to him by Dublin Corporation?
As the Deputy is aware, the special subcommittee regularly deal with this matter. I hope they will be able to identify the sites, locations and houses which can be acquired to enable us do what we all wish to see happen in this case, that is, to rehouse all the people in the Sheriff Street flat complex. That is my aim.
