asked the Minister for Local Government when grants will be payable under Section 5 of the Housing (Loans and Grants) Act, 1962.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Payment of Housing Grants.
19.
The Housing (Loans and Grants) Act, 1962, became law on the 10th August, 1962, and grants under Section 5 of the Act are payable since that date.
It is news to me that grants under Section 5 of the Act have been payable since August, 1962. I have known of no case where the application was dealt with because of the Department's statement that the regulations governing the section "have not yet been drawn up". Am I to assume that the Departmental officials were deceiving people in making such statements, statements completely contradictory of the statement made by the Minister here in the Dáil?
I am afraid I cannot comment on something I do not know anything about. The facts are as I have stated and, if the Deputy or anybody else, has any cases of this nature, and they are not being dealt with, I shall be only too glad to be informed of them.
Am I to assume that since August, 1962, applications under this section are being dealt with? I was interested in a number of such applications and I was told that the Minister and the senior officials were to draw up regulations governing the administration of this section and, until such time as these regulations were drawn up, applications could not be dealt with. Am I to assume now that that information was false, misleading and incorrect?
As I said, I cannot comment on the information the Deputy was given, and I do not intend so to comment. I can only repeat what I have already stated.
Then the information was incorrect, false and misleading.