asked the Minister for Local Government the reason for (a) the protracted delay in carrying out housing inspections and (b) the delay in making payments where houses have been satisfactorily completed and reported on, in the Sligo-Leitrim constituency.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sligo-Leitrim Housing Inspections.
13.
There are no delays at present in carrying out housing inspections in the Sligo-Leitrim constituency. Normally there are no delays in making payments.
14.
asked the Minister for Local Government what he deems to be a reasonable period between notification that a house is completed and the inspection of that house; and what he deems to be a reasonable period between the notification by his Department's inspector that a house has been satisfactorily completed and the making of payment for such house.
In general, houses which are notified to my Department as being completed are inspected within three to four weeks. Except in the case of new houses where delays sometimes occur in obtaining the signature of the applicant on the final certificate form, a period of about three weeks normally elapses between the date of inspection for payment and the making of the payment. I consider that these periods are reasonable.
Is the Minister aware that often it may be three months and much longer before these people hear anything from the inspector? Very often nothing is heard from the Department until a Deputy or somebody else makes application. This thing is causing great delay in having grants paid.
I am not aware that long delays occur in normal circumstances but Deputies will appreciate that when the workings of a Department are disrupted by, for instance, having to deal with a situation in which there is an illegal conspiracy to deprive the community of the essential services administered by local authorities through the intimidation of ratepayers, in many cases by people who have already taken the precaution of paying their own rates, it is perhaps inevitable that in certain cases routine matters will not be dealt with as expeditiously as in normal circumstances.
(Cavan): Does the Minister not agree that he is deliberately, at the behest of his colleague, drawing a red herring across the situation?
He is deliberately trying to cause as much trouble as he can.
(Cavan): Things were equally bad, if not worse, in his Department last year when one shilling could not be got. There is extraordinary and quite unnecessary delay at the moment.
Could it not all have been avoided if the former Minister for Agriculture had met these people?
I cannot allow that.
(Cavan): It was introduced by these people. If it is permitted on one side of the House, it should be permitted on the other.
I should like to ask the Minister, in view of his last statement, if he has given directions to the local authorities to withhold payment of supplementary grants in cases where rates have not been paid.
Deputies, I am sure, will understand that in circumstances such as I have described certain inquiries are necessary. Local authorities have statutory powers, for instance, to deduct rates when paying supplementary grants.
I agree, but would the Minister say whether this comes in at local government level?
Question No. 15.