Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 April 2004
817 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of persons awaiting payment of the first-time buyers grant on a county by county basis; if he will consider extending the deadline for the last remaining claims; the estimated number of applicants who are expected to lose out on the grant if the deadline is not extended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11685/04]
View answer
The information requested, in relation to the number of applications for payment of the first time purchasers new house grant at present being processed in my Department, is set out in the following table:
|
County |
Total |
|
Carlow |
5 |
|
Cavan |
13 |
|
Clare |
25 |
|
Cork |
466 |
|
Donegal |
22 |
|
Dublin |
556 |
|
Galway |
160 |
|
Kerry |
31 |
|
Kildare |
37 |
|
Kilkenny |
15 |
|
Laois |
12 |
|
Leitrim |
9 |
|
Limerick |
32 |
|
Longford |
47 |
|
Louth |
15 |
|
Mayo |
51 |
|
Meath |
38 |
|
Monaghan |
8 |
|
Offaly |
14 |
|
Roscommon |
20 |
|
Sligo |
15 |
|
Tipperary |
34 |
|
Waterford |
81 |
|
Westmeath |
23 |
|
Wexford |
29 |
|
Wicklow |
50 |
|
Total |
1,808 |
The final deadline for occupation and receipt of claim for payment of the new house grant was 2 April 2004. This was adopted to achieve closure of the scheme, to allow re-prioritisation of this budget provision to other social and affordable housing programmes and to prevent speculative applications on houses that might not be built for years to come. In the circumstances it is not possible to extend the closing date and no exception can be made for applicants who did not comply with the deadline.
A number of applicants did not qualify for payment of the grant due to non-compliance with various scheme conditions and therefore it is not possible to quantify the number ineligible due to failure to meet the deadline of 2 April 2004.
