Vol. 498 No. 4
341 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his Department's role in Home Bond; the number of meetings of the board his representatives have attended; their role on the board; the moneys, if any, his Department paid to Home Bond in the past 18 months; and the service for which this money was paid. [27814/98]
Home Bond is operated by the National House Building Guarantee Company, which is a private company established in 1978 by the Irish Home Builders' Association and the Construction Industry Federation. My Department supported the establishment by the industry of a guarantee scheme to protect purchasers of newly built houses and has, since then, been represented at board meetings by officials acting in a non-voting observer capacity. Such meetings are generally held on a monthly basis.
Inspectors of my Department carry out inspections on houses registered with the scheme outside the Dublin area and Home Bond recoups the Department in respect of these services on a fee basis.
My Department provides no funding to Home Bond.
