asked the Minister for Local Government if he will make inquiries as to the cause of the lengthy delay in the leasing of two houses at Newtowncunningham, three houses at Carrigans and one house at Killea by Donegal County Council.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Houses.
19.
This is a matter entirely for Donegal County Council. I suggest that the Deputy should make his inquiries directly to them.
While it is undoubtedly the responsibility of the Donegal County Council, might I ask the Minister in the special circumstances which I believe obtain here, to make it his concern to see whether the county council have, in fact, been in any way remiss so far as the letting of these houses is concerned, houses which are much in demand, for which people are clamouring and for which people are waiting and which were promised by way of lists before the last election?
In answer to the Deputy's plea, I have given the information I have. It may not be full enough. There were two houses at Newtowncunningham and it is understood there were insufficient eligible applicants up to recently. It appears that tenants have now been found and proposals for the letting of the houses will be put before the council at the next meeting. There were three houses at Carrigans and in this case the scheme has not yet been completed. Again, there were insufficient eligible applicants in the immediate vicinity. Tenants are now, however, proposed but the houses are expected to take another few months to complete. It would not be possible to put tenants in until the houses are finished. In the case of a house at Killea it is understood a tenant has been selected for this and a proposal to appoint him will be before the council at their next meeting. This is information which I myself got.
In relation to the Carrigans houses, could I ask the Minister whether, in fact, completion of these houses is continuing, as my most recent information ten days ago in Carrigans itself was that work had practically ceased though they are not nearly finished and are incapable of being handed over; and that at least three very hard cases in the area, practically homeless, awaiting houses, have been notified they are getting them and nothing is happening in regard to finishing the houses?
There must be very few councillors in that area in Donegal because, if this happened in my constituency while I was a member of the county council, I would know how to deal with it and I am surprised to hear that houses could be left like that for so long and nobody seems to bother until Deputy Cunningham puts down a question here.
That is not so. Might I suggest to the Minister that he now, as Minister, might be concerned with council house property as he was in regard to his own council when he was a member of it, and so active, and I suggest he might take a leaf out of the book of some of his predecessors when they were Ministers who saw to it that councils, if they were remiss, did not continue to be remiss?
As far as my information goes, and it is not ten days but about 24 hours——
This is Question Time, Deputy.
So far as I know the houses are let.
In any case, it would appear this is entirely a matter for Donegal County Council and I suggest the Deputy might take it up there.