asked the Minister for Local Government (a) the number of applications for reconstruction loans under the EEC scheme that have been received from employees of Irish Steel Holdings Limited, Haulbowline, County Cork, (b) the number that have been paid and (c) when the remainder will be paid.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Reconstruction Loan Applications.
83.
A total of 60 applications were received from employees of Irish Steel Holdings Ltd for EEC assistance towards the cost of the modernisation of their houses. Of these, four have indicated that they do not intend to proceed with their applications and one application was received after the assistance had been fully committed.
I have been informed by the National Building Agency, who are co-ordinating and administering the loan scheme, that no payments have been made to date since the loan funds have not yet been released by the EEC Commission. The agency have been informed by the Commission that before any payment can be made, a formal agreement must be signed between the agency and the Commission. Normally this agreement is drawn up by the Commission, but to avoid delay, the agency are proceeding with the preparation of a draft agreement for early submission to the Commission for approval.
Why has there been so much dragging of heels? I am sure the Minister is aware of the difficulties applicants for new house loans had in this respect last summer. How long is it since these applications for reconstruction or home modernisation were received? What steps have been taken to speed up payment to people who have been waiting for money for a considerable period?
That is a very complicated supplementary and I am not quite sure that I got what Deputy Fitzgerald was asking.
My question is this: on what date approximately were those applications received? What steps have the NBA who, I understand, are the agency, taken to speed up the signing of the agreement mentioned by the Minister? Why has it taken so long to sign it? Is the Minister happy with the NBA's operation of the scheme?
I am not happy about the operation of the scheme but I assure Deputy Fitzgerald that the delay is not the fault of anybody in this country. Every effort has been made to get something done about this by our people here and in Brussels. So far we have not got the co-operation which we were hoping for and, in an effort to speed it up because we could not get the agreement which they said would have to be signed, we prepared the agreement. It will be there and they cannot say that is holding it up. This is some more of the foot dragging which they are pretty good at in the EEC when it comes to paying out money to countries like this.
The Minister did not answer the first part of the question.
I have not got that information.
I assume that these applications would have been made in or about the same time as the applications for new house loans under this scheme which would have been in the earlier part of last year. In fact, 12 months have elapsed. The Minister is attributing all the blame to the people in Brussels. Is he absolutely sure that there is no foot dragging here either by the NBA or the Department of Finance in finalising this scheme, as there was in the case of the new houses?
I am not prepared to accept the implications in the latter part of the Deputy's supplementary question. He is, I think, sensible enough to understand that there would be no point in foot dragging here because of the fact that it is in our interest to get this finished as quickly as we can. To suggest that responsibility for delay rests here is simply not true. The fact is we are doing everything we can to try to get the thing finalised. It is being held up because the people in Brussels have not so far done what they should have done.
Finally, is the Minister aware that in the case of the new house loans under this scheme it was only after considerable pressure from this side of the House by way of questions and representations to the Minister for Finance that he eventually approved?
I am perfectly sure that pressure has not had any impact in this case and, if Deputy Gene Fitzgerald feels that questions from him succeeded in getting the Government to do something it would be in their interest to do anyway, then I am afraid his promotion to the front bench has made him feel just a little more important than normally.
Could I ask the Minister to pursue the matter, because it is a serious one?
It is being pursued as quickly as possible.