I wish to share my time with Deputy Bradford.
Adjournment Debate. - Vocational School Disposal.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
The central question is whether it is right for the Department to levy a charge of £17,000 on the Lombardstown voluntary housing association that wishes to provide, on the campus of the old Lombardstown vocational school, housing units for senior citizens of the locality. In so far as County Cork VEC has a role to play in the disposal of property, this matter came before the members some time ago and, without reservation or the recommendation of a charge, it took the view that the site and building of the former vocational school at Lombardstown should be disposed of and that, as a procedural matter, the prior permission of the Department of Education and Science should be sought. Regrettably, while recommending that the site could be disposed of to the Lombardstown voluntary housing association, the Department imposed a levy of £17,000 on it. Given the circumstances of the case, that is a most unfortunate decision and I raise the matter to ask the Minister to intervene.
This school was built in the early 1950s on a site donated by the local community to County Cork VEC. Not uniquely at the time, a considerable amount of local voluntary labour was involved in the construction of the school. Given those circumstances, it is mean spirited of the Department to take the view that a levy of £17,000 should be imposed on a local voluntary, civic-minded group that wishes to provide for the elderly in the community sheltered housing and ancillary services on the campus of the old vocational school. I urge the Minister to review this case, taking into consideration the overall context of the request, the voluntary effort and the service provided by a local voluntary organisation in circumstances where the State could not, were it so obliged, provide a similar level of service. I ask the Minister to reconsider the asking price. It was anticipated that a nominal fee would be levied on the property, which would be in keeping with the development envisaged.
I support the case made by Deputy Creed. I am a member of County Cork VEC which considered this issue. As a Deputy who lives adjacent to the Lombardstown area, I am aware of the proposal by the Lombardstown housing association for a scheme which would result in housing three or four elderly people in the locality. At a time when we are trying to promote social housing, we should do everything possible to assist local community and voluntary groups, and the proposal from the Lombardstown people in this regard is worthy of serious consideration.
The site on which the school was built was provided free of charge to the Department of Education in the 1950s and much of the work in constructing the school was carried out on a voluntary basis. In those circumstances the Minister should use his discretion and consider this proposal more leniently than others. The school which operated successfully for 17 or 18 years is now disused. The building has become an eyesore and, with the Minister's assistance, the constructive proposal can be proceeded with. I hope the Minister accedes to the formal request from County Cork VEC. At a meeting of that committee last Thursday week it was formally proposed that the site would be handed over at a nominal rate to the housing association. Taking into account the history of the site and the building of the school, I hope the Minister will favourably consider that request.
I thank both Deputies for raising the issue. It gives me an opportunity to clarify the position of the proposed sale of the old vocational school in Lombardstown. Some time ago County Cork VEC sought my consent to dispose of the old vocational school as required by section 2 of the Vocational Education (Amendment) Act, 1936. The normal procedure in these matters is that my Department considers, in the first instance, if the property will be required for educational reasons in the foreseeable future and if not, a reserve price is set in accordance with the established market value of the property. The committee is then directed to sell the property by tender or public auction, whichever is likely to secure the highest price.
Having carried out a thorough examination of the proposal made by County Cork VEC, my Department is satisfied that the property at Lombardstown will not be required for educational use in the foreseeable future. In addition, having regard to the merits of the proposal submitted and the intended use for the old school, it was decided, on an exceptional basis, to give sanction to the committee to sell the property to the housing charity at the established market value of £17,500. The legal advice available to me is that under the present statutory framework a VEC is not empowered to dispose of a property at a price less than the established market value, which in this case is £17,500.
The Deputy will appreciate that if the normal procedure was followed in this case, the VEC would have to sell the property by tender or public auction. The effect of this could well be to increase the consideration over the established market value and make the purchase more difficult for the housing charity. I am pleased to have been in a position to facilitate the charity on this occasion by giving sanction for the sale of the school outside of auction or public tendering. I take this opportunity to commend the charity in question on its efforts to provide sheltered housing for the needy in our society.
The Dáil adjourned at 8.50 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 1 April 1998.