asked the Minister for Local Government the number of dangerous building inspectors employed by the Dublin Corporation, together with their normal hours of work.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Inspection of Dangerous Buildings.
17.
There are five dangerous buildings inspectors employed as such by the Dublin Corporation.
I understand that their normal working hours are 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday and 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. on Saturday.
18.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will give a full account of the system of inspection of buildings suspected as dangerous by local authority officials, including such information as the method of selection of buildings for inspection, the frequency with which buildings are inspected, the type of inspection carried out, the action taken when buildings are found to be dangerous, and any other relevant information.
I have not the information requested by the Deputy. The operation of the law regarding dangerous buildings is a matter for each local authority concerned and my sanction or supervision is not required.
19.
asked the Minister for Local Government at what intervals houses and buildings of the tenement type are inspected to ascertain whether they are being kept in proper repair by landlords.
Housing authorities are required to cause inspections of their districts to be made from time to time to ascertain whether any dwelling houses are unfit. They are empowered to take action upon the consideration of official representation, reports from their officers or other information in their possession to require the repair of dwellings unfit and capable of repair. It is a matter for each local authority to give effect to this statutory obligation in the manner best suited to local conditions.
20.
asked the Minister for Local Government the number of houses in Dublin at present which are condemned as unfit for human habitation as distinct from dangerous, together with the number of families and the size of these families who are at present living in them.
The annual returns of operations of the Dublin Corporation under the Housing Acts do not provide information in the precise form requested by the Deputy but the following extract from returns for the period ended 31/3/1962, the latest available, may be of assistance to him:
|
(1) Number of houses ordered to be demolished |
3,399 |
|
(2) Number of houses actually demolished |
3,011 |
|
(3) Number of families in houses at (1) |
7,841 |
|
(4) Number of families in houses at (2) |
6,853 |
|
(5) Number of persons in families at (3) |
31,118 |
|
(6) Number of persons in families at (4) |
27,730 |
21.
asked the Minister for Local Government what provisions are at present made in Dublin for the rehousing of persons living in houses condemned as unfit for human habitation; and the date on which it is expected that all families at present living in this type of house will be rehoused.
The Corporation built 643 dwellings in the year ended 31st March, 1963, and had a total of 1,290 dwellings in progress or in tender on the 31st May, 1963. I understand that they are endeavouring to increase the output of new dwellings substantially.
I understand also that at a recent date the Corporation had on their waiting list for rehousing 601 families and 490 single persons living in dwellings which had been acquired or condemned.
I am not in a position to say when the housing authority expects that all families at present living in unfit houses will be rehoused. The City Manager indicated in a report to the Corporation in September last that he expected to be able to provide 3,000 new tenancies in the following 2½ years. If the Corporation succeed in their efforts to increase output, this number should be considerably exceeded.
Can the Minister give any reason why serious notice and more appropriate action was not taken by the Government and the local authority concerned until four people lost their lives?
Serious notice has been taken of it at all times.
No action was taken until four people lost their lives.
The question of unfit houses is one for the local authority. As soon as this question arose, the Minister instituted a public inquiry.
22.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will introduce legislation with a view to enabling local authorities to acquire property which has been condemned as unfit for human habitation by a procedure which would eliminate the present long delays in this process.
I am not aware that the present statutory procedure available to local authorities for the acquisition of property which is unfit for human habitation must involve long delays in dealing with specific cases, but in so far as the procedures may at any time be found to be unsatisfactory in this respect, I will be prepared to promote such amending legislation as may be necessary.
23.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will introduce legislation with a view to preventing dealing by unscrupulous persons in property which has been condemned by the local authorities as unfit for human habitation.
The law in relation to unfit dwellings has been kept under regular review and has been amended from time to time, according as this has been found to be necessary. This will continue to be done.