asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware that local authority tenants who receive the £5,000 grant and who purchase a second-hand house are ineligible for home improvement grants for a period of seven years despite the fact that the house purchased may require repairs or renovations; if he will consider waiving this regulation, or at least reducing the period during which people are disqualified from home improvement grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Home Improvement Grants.
17.
I do not comtemplate any changes in these requirements.
In view of the fact that the £5,000 grant is intended to assist people who in the normal course of events would not be in a position to buy a house of their own and since, from his own statistics, 60 per cent of tenants are buying secondhand houses, would the Minister agree that it is only reasonable that they qualify for a refurbishing grant for their secondhand house?
The £5,000 grant is a handsome grant and compares favourably with the house improvement grant. We must make the best possible use of the money available to encourage people to buy private houses and ensure that the incentives are spread across as wide an area as possible. The £5,000 grant, which is available to people who surrender their local authority house, is an adequate incentive for them.
As I understand it, the grant was intended as a bridge between what the local authority tenant might be able to raise by way of loan and the cost of a house. Clearly, that grant could not be used for repairs or refurbishing. In those circumstances does he not feel that it would be fair to enable those people to qualify for the grant? If the Minister does not agree to wipe out the seven-year period altogether will he consider reducing it to a reasonable extent?
I have indicated my attitude on this matter and in my view the grant is a very handsome one.