asked the Minister for the Environment if he will reconsider new house grant applications which have been disallowed on the basis that the applicant did not apply for the grant in time; his views on whether it is in accordance with the spirit of natural justice to deprive such an applicant who has gone to great measures to ensure that the house has been built to the specification and standard of the Department; if, in view of the hardship experienced by a few applicants who had calculated the housing grant and mortgage subsidy as part of their funding arrangement and are now financially embarrassed, he will reconsider the matter with a view to allocating grants where merit dictates that he should, and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - New House Grant Applications.
21.
I have no proposals to allow the mortgage subsidy in respect of those applications ineligible by reason of their receipt after the closing date. That date was initially fixed as 31st October, 1986, but was finally extended to 6 March, 1987. In so far as the £2,000 grant is concerned, it is a condition of the scheme that applicants who had entered into contracts on or after the 1st October, 1986, have to supply the name, address and V.A.T. number of the contractor and their own income tax number.
I do not propose to review the conditions applicable to either the mortgage subsidy or the £2,000 grant.