asked the Minister for Transport and Power how long it takes to get a grant for hotel development from Bord Fáilte from the date of application, as some applicants from County Leitrim have been told that money will not be available for two years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hotel Development Grants.
41.
Bord Fáilte, in administering the scheme of grants for hotel development, must examine applications in the light of the overall tourism revenue objectives, the accommodation growth targets needed to achieve those objectives and the accommodation situation in the particular area involved. Moreover, before they give approval for a particular project for grant purposes, they must take account of cases already approved and ensure that they do not take on commitments in excess of the funds voted to them for the purpose by the Dáil. In these circumstances there may well be occasions when Bord Fáilte would have to inform individual applicants that it might be up to two years from the initial approach by the applicant before grant payment could be made.
Apart from these considerations, the time from receipt of application by Bord Fáilte to the date of payment of grant is affected by a number of other factors including the size of the project being undertaken, the speed with which the applicant provides the information required by Bord Fáilte, the rate at which the work is carried out, the completion of the necessary agreement and the satisfactory certification of the job.
Is it a fact that people in Leitrim, a county in which it is hard to make a living, are being told that no money will be available for two years?
There was a shortfall in the growth of accommodation. Now there has been a big increase. Taking into account the growth in accommodation, and what has been planned for the future, it would be impossible for the Minister for Finance to agree to a completely open-ended scheme for hotel accommodation. Following the ending of credit restrictions between 1966 and 1967 there was a tremendous growth in accommodation and, while it was possible for a period, to have the grants completely open-ended, that situation cannot continue. There were cases in which grants could not be paid for about two years for various technical reasons, but the Deputy can be satisfied that the Government will continue to provide grants in line with the anticipated growth in tourist traffic. Certain priorities are involved.
Would the Minister agree that there is an outstanding debt by Bord Fáilte of approximately £250,000?
I am not sure of the exact figure but we recently voted a sum of £500,000 to 1st April, 1970, and there will then be a further estimate.
Despite the £500,000 there is still outstanding a sum of £250,000.
(Cavan): Is it a fact that Bord Fáilte are not entertaining any new applications at the moment?
That I could not say.
(Cavan): Even in cases where people were led to believe 12 months ago that their applications would be favourably received they are now being told that they cannot be entertained at all.
That I cannot say.
Did the Minister not say that there were certain inescapable commitments?
The board, of course, will honour inescapable commitments. This is a matter of planning for the next financial year and, as the Deputy knows, the Estimates are not yet ready. The matter will come before the House in due course. I cannot possibly discuss it now.