Vol. 431 No. 1
6 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for the Environment whether, in view of the housing problem in Dublin, particularly in terms of need and the condition of the housing stock, he will establish a single Dublin housing authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I have no proposals to establish a single housing authority for the Dublin area. The establishment of such an authority would be inconsistent with the restructuring of local government which is in progress in Dublin and to which the Government is committed under the Programme for a Partnership Government. However, the need for appropriate mechanisms to ensure adequate co-ordination of housing and other services between the authorities in the Dublin area is clear. This will be addressed in the context of the Bill, which will be brought forward later this year, to establish the new county councils and in the development of proposals for the establishment of regional authorities.
I am appalled at the complacency of the Minister's reply. Has he lost all the fire in his belly since he went to the Government side of the House? Is the Minister concerned about the fact that through Dublin Corporation he is the greatest slum landlord in this country? Is the Minister satisfied that, according to the last available figures, in the region of 15 per cent of corporation dwellings do not have a bath and that about 9 per cent of corporation dwellings do not even have an inside toilet? Will the Minister lose his complacency?
We are presiding in Dublin over 50 years of neglect. The action being taken by the Government is specific to deal with that problem. We are not complacent about the difficulties. We are providing considerable funding to deal with the problem outlined by the Deputy. All the reports on the problem recommended that Dublin Corporation housing in the county be transferred to the relevant councils when the new councils are set up on 1 January next. This has financial, organisational and other consequences for Dublin Corporation. We must consider the best system of dealing with the problem when the Bill setting up the new councils is enacted and the regional authority for Dublin is being established. I do not agree that the setting up of a new authority for all of Dublin is the right direction to go.
Slum landlords were always complacent.
That is outrageous.
That must be the end of Priority Questions for today.
