asked the Minister for the Environment if he will re-examine a house improvement grant application which was declined for a person (details supplied) in County Louth because of the special circumstances.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing Grants.
6.
A grant cannot be allowed in this case because, contrary to a statutory condition of the scheme, the work had commenced before an inspection of the house was carried out. The applicant has been so informed.
Is the Minister fully conversant with the circumstances of this case and the severe hardship imposed on the applicant through not getting the house improvement grant to which, in the view of many people who made representations, she was entitled?
It may be causing financial problems for the applicant but if the statutory conditions are not complied with there is nothing I can do. I am sorry about that.
Does the inspector's report on the case cover all the circumstances?
All aspects are taken into account. A person who proceeds with work prior to inspection is automatically debarred from the grant.
Is the Minister aware that the work had to proceed in order to make the accommodation habitable? It was not possible in the circumstances to wait for the inspector to call.
We issued an instruction that in the event of storm damage a person could telephone the Department and request an urgent inspection to be carried out. There did not appear to be that kind of urgency in this case.
Will the Minister examine the file again? If he does so sympathetically, I believe he will see the justification of the case.
I will examine it.
7.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he will re-examine an application for a home improvement grant, which was refused, for a person (details supplied) in County Louth in view of the special circumstances which apply to the case.
A grant cannot be allowed in this case because, contrary to a statutory condition of the scheme, the work had commenced before an inspection of the house was carried out. The applicant has been so informed.
While there may be similarities in Questions Nos. 6 and 7, in the latter case, the lady lived alone, was partially disabled — I think she was in the region of 74 years of age — in circumstances in which a son——
A question, please, Deputy.
I am just coming to it, a Cheann Comhairle. I wanted to let the Minister have the relevant details in relation to the application. When her son, who had been abroad, came home and saw the circumstances in which his mother was living decided that the repair work was urgent and proceeded on that basis——
I cannot tolerate this approach to Question Time.
In view of the very severe hardship imposed by the implementation of this regulation in regard to house improvement grants — which is a perfect example of the severe hardship being imposed on people because of essential work perhaps having commenced before an inspector calls — would the Minister have it reviewed in order to restore the flexibility that had obtained for many years in regard to the operation of the scheme and which was helpful and beneficial to many people living in bad housing conditions throughout the country?
I would have to say to the Deputy that it is not my intention to review the question of the prior inspection aspect. The prior inspection is quite clearly indicated on the application form as being necessary and that applicants should not proceed until the work has been inspected. We are dealing with public money and we do have to protect it. It is a reasonable request to ensure that work has not been carried out or that we are not paying a grant in respect of something already existing.
Would the Minister agree that it is very bad economics for the Department of the Environment to argue that a house cannot be renovated for an old person, who might normally have to be placed in a geriatric unit——
This is more argument.
——when, if the necessary repair work could be carried out on that house it would be much better that such a person would remain in her own home environment rather than being placed in a hospital? It is in that context that these questions were submitted. Would the Minister have the operations of the scheme reviewed in order to eliminate the serious anomalies that have arisen in recent times?
I do not want to hold out hope that we will change the prior inspection aspect. It is not in our minds to change it. It is not in my mind to change it. I know it can cause a degree of hardship where people go ahead with work before inspection. The Deputy has been talking about keeping people out of geriatric hospitals as if this situation implied some impediment thereto. The situation about prior inspection is quite clearly stated on the application form. I do not quite understand the point the Deputy is making with regard to old people, or his implication that there was some impediment here to them as opposed to other people. The system operates exactly the same for everybody.
One final supplementary.
Question No. 8. I am sorry, Deputy, I am not going to allow this debate continue.
In reply to the Minister——
No, a Deputy does not reply to the Minister; that is the point.