asked the Minister for the Environment if he will allow a person who employs registered sub-contractors in the construction of a dwelling house to qualify for the £2,000 new house grant and an additional £2,250 grant.
35.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - House Grants.
4.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware of the serious effects which his recent announcement regarding new house grants will have for many individuals who are capable of contributing towards the erection of their own house; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 35 together. In the case of an individual who is having a house built on a site provided by them and employing registered sub-contractors in the construction of the dwelling such persons will be eligible to apply for new house grants. The administrative details of this will be announced shortly.
A regulation has been made and published to the effect that only registered contractors who have signed full contracts for the construction of houses can carry out the work for which applicants will qualify for grants. That being so, does the Minister agree that this would militate seriously against people who could employ registered sub-contractors but who, because they themselves are skilled tradesmen, could carry out work on their houses? I compliment the Minister on his efforts to rule out blackmarketeering in regard to this work, but I suggest he should allow registered sub-contractors who are paying tax to qualify under the new scheme. That would be a major improvement in the regulation.
I thank the Deputy for his remarks in relation to our efforts to ensure that work which is grant-aided will be carried out by white economy contractors. Perhaps the Deputy did not hear my reply, which had the implication that where individuals are having houses built on their own sites we are making arrangements that when they employ registered sub-contractors they will be eligible to apply for the grant. I will be publishing precise details of that in the next few days.
When the Minister is publishing the regulation will he have due regard to people like farmers' sons in rural Ireland who would be able to put in the foundations themselves: would he allow them to do so? Grant applicants whose brothers or fathers might be in the building industry and who pay PAYE in the normal course of events as block-layers or plasterers should be allowed to get them to construct their houses. If that is not allowed, in such cases there could be considerable extra costs which are not necessary.
In view of the postal strike in Galway would the Minister accept applications which arrive late because of delays in deliveries?