Ned O'Keeffe
Question:198 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government when payment of a new house grant will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [14145/03]
Written Answers. - Housing Grants.
An inspection with a view to payment of the grant, if in order, will be carried out as soon as possible.
Róisín Shortall
Question:199 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the steps that were taken in November and December 2002 to notify first-time buyers of the deadline for applying for the first-time buyer's grant; if the Revenue Commissioners or lending institutions were used to notify first time buyers of the new time limit; if, in previous years, there was a set time-limit by which first-time buyers must have applied for the grant in order to qualify; his policy in relation to first-time buyers who were unaware of a time-limit being set in December 2002 and did not apply prior to the deadline; and the reason persons (details supplied) in Dublin 15 who were aware of the abolition of the grant but not of the time-limit and therefore applied only in 2003 have been refused the grant. [14210/03]
Applications under the new house grant scheme which was terminated, as and from 14 November 2002, were required under the relevant regulations to be received in my Department, on or before 4 December 2002. The application in this case was received subsequent to that date and a new house grant cannot therefore be allowed.
The conditions relating to the termination of the scheme were published in the main daily newspapers on 15 November and again on 29 November, and on the Department's website. Neither the Revenue Commissioners nor the lending institutions have been involved in the administration of the new house grant scheme.
Róisín Shortall
Question:200 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the way in which the number of first-time buyers in a given period are determined by his Department; if the record on first-time buyers in the housing statistics bulletin in 2002 were compiled based on the number of first-time buyer's grants awarded or notifications from lending institutions or notification from the Revenue Commissioners or other such means; the number of first-time buyer's grants awarded in 2002 up to and including 4 December 2002; if a comparison will be made with the number of first-time buyers registered with the Revenue Commissioners during that same period to determine the total number of first-time buyers who while eligible, did not apply for the first-time buyer's grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14211/03]
First-time buyers purchase both new and second-hand houses. My Department does not have information on all purchases by first-time buyers, but the trend in the number of new house grants paid my Department and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs for that period, is an important indicator of activity of first-time buyers in the market. In 2002, there was a total of 10,522 new house grants paid. These 2002 figures are not directly comparable with the Revenue Commissioners data which is based on mortgage interest relief given to first-time buyers of new and second-hand houses combined.
My Department also collects information from lending institutions, which are completed by mortgage applicants on a voluntary basis. This gives indicative data on all house purchasers including first-time buyers. My Department has recently appointed consultants to develop and implement a new house price statistics system which will provide more comprehensive housing statistics.