Vol. 571 No. 4
517 Mr. Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the steps he intends to take to ensure that a person (details supplied) in County Kerry receives a new house grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22291/03]
The regulations relating to the termination of the new house grant scheme require that the house must be completed and occupied by the applicant, and application for payment of the grant received by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on or before 13 November 2003. However, special consideration in the payment of the grant will be given in cases where genuine difficulties, outside the control of the applicant, arise in relation to the completion and occupation of the house by that date.
518 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 1274 of 30 September 2003, if his attention has been drawn to another housing scheme (details supplied) whereby a large number of first time buyers are having difficulty in meeting the 14 November 2003 deadline through no fault of their own; if consideration is being given by his Department as to the way in which these difficulties might be addressed; his latest proposals to ensure a fair outcome in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22292/03]
The new house grant scheme was terminated in order to allow re-prioritisation of this budget provision to other housing and social programmes. The deadline for completion and occupation of a house the subject of a grant application was adopted to prevent speculative applications on houses which may not be built for years to come.
I am very aware that difficulties are being faced by some housing grant applicants, including those mentioned in the question, in meeting the deadline of completing and occupying their new homes through no fault of their own. As I stated previously in my reply to the above mentioned question, consideration is currently being given by my Department as to how these difficulties might be addressed bearing in mind the need to ensure fair treatment and to achieve closure on the scheme.
519 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government if the first-time buyer's grant can be awarded to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 6W; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22308/03]
Provisional approval to a grant has issued in this case. On receipt of a claim for payment and notification that the house is complete and occupied, an inspection with a view to payment of the grant, if in order, will be carried out as soon as possible.
