asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state in respect of each local authority, the number of cases in which applicants for loans under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts had, prior to the 6th October, 1952, (1) executed mortgages in favour of such local authority and had received interim advances on foot thereof, and (2) executed mortgages in favour of such local authority, but on foot of which no portion of the advances had been made; and if he will, further, state in respect of each such class, the amount still to be drawn at such date from each local authority on foot of such mortgage.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing Loans.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state in respect of each local authority, the number of applications for loans under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts, delivered to such local authority prior to the 6th October, 1952, in those cases where neither the mortgage had been executed, nor provisional approval given by managerial or other executive order before such date, and the total amount involved in the case of each such local authority.
asked the Minister for Local Government if, in the light of his statement made on the 5th November, 1952, he will at once take steps to have made available to local authorities from the Local Loans Fund sufficient moneys at the old rate of interest to enable such authorities to advance at the old rate of interest loans to all those whose applications had, prior to the 6th October, 1952, been provisionally approved by order of a county manager or other appropriate official.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will at once take steps to have made available at the old rate of interest, to local authorities, from the Local Loans Fund, sufficient moneys to enable such authorities to advance at the old rate of interest, loans to all those who had delivered applications to such local authorities prior to the 6th October, 1952, but had not before that date executed mortgages for such loans, nor received provisional approval by managerial or other executive order.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he has now received a reply to a circular letter of 21st October, 1952, from the Dublin County Council, and other local authorities; and, if so, if he will now take steps to have made available money from the Local Loans Fund, or otherwise, to the local authorities at the old rate of interest in respect of applications made by individual borrowers before the 6th October, 1952, for small dwellings acquisition loans.
asked the Minister for Local Government whether he is now in a position to indicate whether he proposes to authorise the Kildare County Council to grant loans under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts at the former rate of interest, where applications for loans had been submitted prior to the recent increase in interest rates.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44 together.
The details requested by Deputy Sweetman in Questions Nos. 39 and 40 are not available in my Department.
All local authorities who borrow from the Local Loans Fund have been informed that money at the rate of interest prevailing before the 6th October, 1952, will be made available to them from the fund to enable them to consider the making of advances under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts in the following types of cases:—
(1) Where a partial advance had been issued.
(2) Where a mortgage deed had been completed.
(3) Where application had been made and the local authority's intimation of their acceptance of the application had been conveyed even if the mortgage deed had not been completed.
(4) Where the applicant had entered into a contract to have erected or to purchase a house and documentary evidence is available to show that a deposit was paid even if no reply had been received from the local body to the application for loan facilities.
(5) Where the applicant had entered into a contract to have erected or to purchase a house in the belief that loan facilities would be made available to him and documentary evidence is available to show that a deposit was paid although he had not prior to the 6th October made application to the local authority for such loan.
(6) Where the applicant had entered into a contract to have erected or to purchase a house and documentary evidence is available to show that such contract had been made even though no deposit had been paid and whether or not application had been made to the local authority for loan facilities.
In cases coming within categories (5) and (6), it would be necessary for the local authority to satisfy the Minister in each case that the applicant was a person who would require loan facilities to complete the contract.
The information so far received from local bodies in reply to my circular confirmed the impression I held that it would take them a long time to furnish the detailed information required. There may be other deserving cases outside the scope of this rather wide range, and if any such cases are reported to me they will be sympathetically considered.
Are we to take it, therefore, that local authorities can make advances at the old rate of interest and that the money will be made available from the Local Loans Fund to enable them to do so?
Local authorities have been informed already of the contents of the reply I have given to the Deputy and to Deputy Sweetman.
Is the Minister referring to the circular sent out on the 7th instant?
There is no need for me to refer to it.
Because the circular sent out on the 7th instant does not cover the classes to which the Minister has referred.
The Minister was not speaking of any circular but only of instructions which issued to local bodies conveying the information set out in Classes 1 to 6.
Recently? Since the 7th?
When?
About a week ago. The decisions have now been conveyed to them.
They were never heard of.
Do we understand that money at the old rate will be made available so as to enable local authorities to consider making grants at the old rate in the cases the Minister has mentioned?
The Deputy will understand, I hope, that in order to get a proper view of all the types of cases which could arise it was necessary to examine all the correspondence and, indeed, it happened to be helpful to meet a number of people who were affected. If an earlier decision had been conveyed it would not have been as comprehensive as the present decision. While I was as anxious as any Deputy to have the matter cleared up I was also anxious to ensure that when a definite instruction was sent out it would cover the greatest possible number of all those who would be affected in all conceivable circumstances. I have done that as quickly as I could but if there should be any cases—I do not think that there can be many—outside the range I have mentioned these too can be considered. The instruction, however, will segregate the wheat from the chaff and allow local bodies to use their own judgment based on that instruction. In reply to Deputy General Mulcahy, money will be made available at the rates of interest which prevailed prior to the 6th October, 1952.
Will the Minister say the date of the later circular?
We will take this as the latest information.
I understood the Minister to say that he gave a direction a week ago that these instructions were to issue to local authorities?
On Monday.
This Monday?
Will the Minister explain why the instruction has not reached the Kildare County Council?
It takes some time to get these things done.
Thank God it has been done.
Are you disappointed?
We are delighted.
It is no thanks to you or your Party.
We are interested in the people.
Does the Minister not consider that the time is now ripe for him to go into the question of fees chargeable by county council solicitors with regard to the Small Dwellings Act?
That is an entirely different matter.
Deputy Sweetman will answer that one.