asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware that grave hardship is being caused to persons who have erected houses in County Galway by the failure and delay of his Department to certify the payment of housing grants so that the Galway County Council may pay the supplementary grant applicable; and, if so, if he will make a statement on that matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Payment of Housing Grants.
The normal practice in my Department is to notify the local authority concerned immediately a housing grant payment is made. Some difficulties arose in Galway County in relation to notifications in respect of cases paid before this year. These difficulties have now been resolved and the fact that grant payments had been made in all the cases concerned has recently been confirmed for the information of the council.
Is the Minister aware that the Galway County Council have been informed by an official that the Department have issued certificates after October, 1951, and that the big delay in sanctioning the grants to people under the county council scheme is the failure of the Department to issue certificates of State grants given to people prior to October, 1951?
Certain difficulties arose because of the need to notify local bodies in connection with grants paid by the State prior to the 1950 Act. The houses in respect of which these grants were paid were due for rate relief, as the Deputy is probably aware, for a number of years. When the 1950 Housing Act came along and in cases where local bodies, such as Galway County Council, adopted Section 7 and where the grant was paid, on payment of the State grant, it was necessary to alter the procedure. Some confusion then arose, because the grants which were formerly notified in bulk for rating purposes had later to be notified as the grant was paid by the Department. These difficulties, as I have said, have been ironed out and we hope that they will not again arise.
Might I say that the secretary of the Galway County Council has informed me that the whole matter has now been satisfactorily settled?
That was not stated at the last county council meeting.
It has been settled since then.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state (a) the date on which he received notification that a house at Leixlip, County Kildare, was ready for final inspection, (b) the date of such inspection, and (c) why the grant due has not been paid.
Notification that the house in question was completed was received in my Department on the 25th July, 1952. The house was inspected on the 6th September last and payment of the grant in full has since been made to the applicant.
Does the Minister not think that an excessive delay for an ordinary straightforward case?
It looks a bit long, but it is not too bad.
Is the Minister aware that there is great dissatisfaction in general in Kildare over the delays in regard to such cases?
From time to time, some dissatisfaction arises in a number of places.
And that it is worse than usual at present?
An effort has been made for some months to clear up the matter in any counties where such was the case and if I were made aware of it I would see that something would be done.
Would you put the shock troops into Kildare so?