asked the Minister for Local Government when it is proposed to pay a new house grant to a person in County Cork (name supplied).
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Cork House Grant.
28.
The standard of work on this house at the last inspection was unacceptable. Consideration cannot be given to the payment of a grant until the work is completed to a satisfactory standard.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary tell me a little more about the report? I tried to get the report from the Department. There was no question at any time of substandard work. I would appreciate it if the Parliamentary Secretary would tell me that the report indicated that the work was substandard. After several queries, this is the first time I have heard this excuse of substandard work. There was no mention of it before. I have made numerous inquiries about the payment of this grant and I was told it would be out in a few weeks, and a few weeks, and a few weeks, and now it is months. If that is the way the Department conducts its business, a review is essential. Would the Minister read from that report about the substandard work?
Work started on this House in January, 1970. This was a system-built house, and in June, 1970, the firm made application on behalf of the purchaser for a grant for the house. Work was completed and the job was inspected in December, 1970. The supervising inspector reported "a standard of finish deplorable for a system-built type of house." Again it was inspected in August 1971, and it was also pointed out that this type of work could not be accepted for grant purposes. An effort was made by the inspector to contact the representatives of the firm. He left a message for the representative to phone him and the representative failed to do so. The inspector reported in February, 1972, that "the amount of remedial work necessary is extensive" and as an exceptional measure the grant was not allocated because of the standard of the work. It is proposed to send the supervisory inspector to make an early appointment with a representative of the firm, but a great deal of work must be done in order that such a building would qualify for a grant.
Why was the applicant not told? The applicant got this firm to build the house for him and if he had been told that it was not up to requirements, then the obligation would be on the firm to make good the defects. I am not advocating here that the firm should be paid for substandard work. My reason for putting down this question was to try to elicit some information for the applicant, because he has not got any himself. Naturally the firm did not tell him the work was substandard. Why not tell the applicant himself?
In August, 1971, the purchaser was informed that this type of work could not be accepted for grant purposes.