asked the Minister for Local Government if he intends to increase the allocation to Dublin County Council for housing loans during the present year to enable the Council to approve a loan application received after September 1969.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin County Council Housing Loan.
27.
As I said in reply to a question on 23rd October, I am awaiting a report on the position from the local authorities concerned. When this is received, the matter will be considered further.
Could the Minister say if he is likely to make a further allocation to County Dublin or could he say to the people who apply after 1st September that their loan application will be met after a certain date? It would enable them, as the Minister appreciates, to get bridging capital if he could say there would be a stay on this for a certain period. Many contracts are being cancelled at the present time because contractors have no assurance that the money will be available or no date when it will be available.
There is no need for further allocation this year for this purpose.
Can the Minister explain the statement he has just made? The present position is that all applications after 1st September are being refused; they are not being processed, in other words. People do not know whether they will get a loan or when they will get a loan. If they go to a building society outside they get terms that are not as favourable and they do not get fixed terms of interest. Does the Minister approve of the outside loan and, if he does, can he arrange for fixed rates of interest from the outside societies?
That has nothing to do with the allocation of money for this year.
Is the Minister aware that Dublin County Council loan applicants have had their deposits returned by builders because they can get no definite assurance that the loan will be approved?
That is a different question.
It is not.
Does the Minister not agree it is completely wrong that people who apply for loans in the first five months of the year get the benefit of a county council loan but if they apply after the first five months they get no loan? Surely this cannot be right with people of the same income?
There is always a backlong of these applications.
For seven months of the year? Rubbish.
Since 1st September. They are reasonably up to date.