asked the Minister for the Environment if almost 50,000 applications were received for house improvement and solid fuel grants between 1 January 1980 and 1 February 1980; and the number paid to date.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Grant Payments.
5.
Approximately 50,000 applications for house improvement and solid fuel grants were received in my Department between 1 January and 1 February 1980. It is not possible to say how many grants have been paid to date in respect of these applications. The number of house improvement and solid fuel grants paid in the year 1980 was 41,665.
How many grants are unpaid as of today?
As I stated, 50,000 applications have been received and these are being paid as quickly as possible. For example, 6,000 grants between home improvement and solid fuel are being paid this month and we are employing the staff fully for this purpose. It is difficult to check the number outstanding.
Simple subtraction would give that.
If 50,000 applications were submitted in one month between 1 January and 1 February, surely there is some record in the Department of the total number of grants received, the total number paid and the budget provisions for 1981? Is the Minister seriously suggesting that that information is not available for budget purposes and for departmental purposes?
The budget provision for 1981 is——
£27.46 million.
Yes, and that is sufficient to pay over 41,000 grants.
I intend to raise this matter on the adjournment, but not this evening. The Minister said £27 million is provided for this year.
The Deputy's colleague said that. Some £19 million has been provided for this year.
On the expending of the £19 million in 1981, how many thousand applications for home improvement and solid fuel grants will be unpaid at the end of 1981? The Minister has between 130,000 and 150,000 applications, he has £19 million and he is paying out 4,000 this month——
6,000.
How much will that cost?
As I have indicated, it is difficult to give the answer because it depends on the number of inspections that can be carried out. Sometimes there have to be re-inspections.
These inspections were carried out six months ago.
The Minister is aware that the inspections were carried out in 1979, 1980 and the first month of 1981. Thousands of inspections have been carried out. What I want to know is how much money is the Minister spending this month? The Minister has a budget and he knows from the Exchequer how much——
Would the Deputy please ask a simple question?
At the end of this month are there 50,000, 80,000 or 90,000 improvement grant applications still outstanding? The information is available but the Government have repeatedly refused to disclose it. I will have to raise this matter on the adjournment next week and I would urge the Minister to make the information available.
Question No. 6. We have had five questions answered in 20 minutes. I would ask for the co-operation of the House, please, to try to get through a reasonable number of questions.
Before getting so anxious about the next question surely the Chair would allow the Minister to answer the supplementary put to him.
To clarify the position——
At last.
——there is £19 million in the Estimate for the payment of house improvement grants and solid fuel grants during this year. As I have said, this month we will be paying out six thousand——
Worth how much?
Six thousand grants will be paid.
Worth how much?
It is impossible to say whether that will be the number for next month or the month after——
How much are those six thousand worth? The Minister is afraid to answer.
(Interruptions.)
Would the Minister answer question No. 6.
(Interruptions.)
I know the Chair is not responsible for the Minister's answers; nobody would ever accuse him of that. But can I ask the Minister if he has in his brief the following information——
I am sorry, Deputy, I have called question No. 6.
——the value of the six thousand grants because the answer given by the Minister is disgraceful.
I am the judge of the number of supplementaries to be allowed and I have allowed quite a number on this question.
It is a cover-up. The Minister has not answered.
(Interruptions.)
I told the Deputy——
If the Minister does not answer decent, straightforward questions he will provoke more and more supplementaries. The Minister is being unruly by provoking us to stand up here asking the same question over and over again. I do not want to enter into conflict with the Chair. I have asked a straightforward question and if the Minister cannot give the information——
I have answered it.
How much money is included in those six thousand?
The Chair decides on the number of supplementaries and the Chair is not responsible for the Minister's replies. Question No. 6.
I am glad you are disowning it, a Cheann Comhairle.
We are in the process of reforming this antiquated procedure. Can I ask you this, Sir, if in your view a Minister deliberately or apparently refuses to give a reply to a straightforward question, the answer to which should be in his brief, and refuses to give it three or four times, does that absorb all the potential supplementary questions that could be asked legitimately?
I have explained to the Deputy that it is not my responsibility how a Minister answers a question and I am not going to delay any more on this question. Question No. 6.
If that is the case, Sir, you are invoking——
I want to give you notice, Sir, that, with your permission, I should like to raise that question on the adjournment in view of the totally unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply.
I will communicate with the Deputy.