asked the Minister for Local Government what financial provisions there are to help extend and provide sanitary services in houses which are sound but overcrowded and occupied by people whose means are so low that normal reconstruction grants are inadequate.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sanitary Services.
85.
In addition to the usual grants from my Department and local authorities for the installation or extension of sanitary facilities in a house, the local authority, at their discretion, may advance a loan to meet the balance of the cost of the work. The loans are advanced on the security of the house and are usually repayable over a period of up to 15 years. Where the amount involved does not exceed £200 a special shortterm loan may be advanced without formal security. Such a loan would cost only about 76p a week to repay. Loans for these purposes are also available from other institutions such as credit unions, banks, building societies and life assurance companies.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that there are some cases where the people are in such poor circumstances that it is unrealistic to offer them any sort of loan because whatever income they get is totally absorbed in meeting their current needs and that some additional cash provision should be made to ensure that such people are able not only to provide sanitary facilities but also to extend their houses in the case of overcrowding?
I appreciate that no matter what grants are available there are hardship cases. They exist in every local authority area. In some cases we do have philanthropic societies of one kind or another assisting such people and doing very good work.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not consider that there should be some provision whereby, on the recommendation perhaps of the superintendent assistance officer, his Department might make an additional cash payment to a person in such a position?
It is very difficult to provide for all types of hardship cases. The grants from the Department and the local authority and the loans and the other assistance are fairly substantial. I think there would be cases where, for some reasons, they cannot be availed of.