asked the Minister for the Environment if he will consider the provision of interest free loans or help of some form for those people who are living in bad houses but due to financial circumstances cannot avail of the new house improvement grants, particularly those families on low income.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - House Improvement Loans.
20.
Generous assistance is available to persons wishing to repair or improve their dwellings by way of grants under the new house improvement grants scheme. The grants can be supplemented by house improvement loans of up to £6,500 — or £1,000 in the case of unsecured loans — from local authorities. Persons whose income did not exceed £8,000 in the preceding tax year are eligible for improvement loans which are at present advanced at a fixed interest rate of 11 per cent over periods of up to 15 years.
County councils operate a scheme of grants for essential repairs which can cover up to the full cost of minimal repairs to house which have deteriorated to the extent that they cannot be made fit in all respects at a reasonable cost. Generally this grant is paid for houses occupied by elderly people to allow them to remain in their present homes where rehousing would not be feasible or desirable.
Another scheme of housing aid for the elderly is administered by a task force set up under the aegis of my Department and is operated at local level by the health boards. The scheme can cover up to the full cost of necessary repairs to insanitary and unfit dwellings occupied by elderly people living alone who are not in a position to do the work themselves.
In the light of the substantial assistance now available for home improvements I do not propose to introduce any additional assistance either by way of an interest free loan scheme or otherwise.
We now proceed to priority questions.