asked the Minister for the Environment if he will introduce emergency legislation to ensure that all applicants for home improvement grants who have been rejected since the inception of the present scheme will be paid by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Grant Payments.
15.
These applications for house improvement grants have been rejected because statutory requirements of the scheme had not been complied with. I do not propose to amend the regulations governing the scheme as requested by the Deputy.
How many applications have been rejected? Would the Minister agree that the conditions pertaining to the present scheme have been considerably altered from the previous scheme? Many people were under the impression that the scheme now in operation was exactly similar to the former one and as a result they got caught up in red tape and lost their grants.
Approximately 3,000 applicants have been refused since the introduction of the scheme. To allow these grants would have cost around £2 million.
Would the Minister agree that it should be the primary aim of the Department to assist householders in providing money for water, sewerage facilities and structural repairs? It is ridiculous that there is a time limit put on people trying to provide those essential services. It is high time to forget about dates of completion and commencement. If people require such facilities they should be given funds to provide them.
That is a different question.
If they comply with the regulations the grant is paid.
Will the Minister agree that the most important reason for these improvements is the relief of congestion? Will the Minister agree that most applicants have borrowed money and part of their repayment programme was the inclusion of the grant? Is the Minister telling the House that it would cost the State £2 million to pay these grants? In that event the State has saved £2 million by rejecting these applications. Will the Minister agree that these applicants through their initiative saved the State a lot of money because they could have applied to be housed by local authorities? Will the Minister give a commitment to the House to consider giving those applicants a percentage of the grant in view of their commitment to improve their position?
I do not propose to amend the regulations governing this, and that rules out paying any portion of a grant.
16.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he will approve the payment of a new house grant to persons (details supplied) in County Kildare as the house has now been built in accordance with instructions received from the grants section of his Department.
It is not a function of the grants section of my Department to issue instructions to grant applicants on how to bring the floor area of individual houses within the grant limits. General guidelines are issued from time to time and these are set out in the memorandum HA1 available to all intending applicants.
As already indicated to the Deputy in correspondence, the application for a grant was rejected in this case because the floor area of the dormer bungalow is in excess of the grant size limit. If the applicants have any proposals to reduce the floor area they should be submitted for consideration.
The floor space referred to in the question concerns an attic which has not been developed. Is the Minister aware that the grants section of his Department informed me by telephone that this work would qualify for a grant? In view of that will the Minister have the case investigated with a view to paying the grant because the couple concerned are in need of the money?
If the Deputy received that information there is a doubt and I will have the matter re-examined.
17.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he will approve the payment of a house grant to persons (details supplied) in County Kildare.
The application in this case has been rejected because the floor area of the house exceeds the maximum statutory floor area limit for grant purposes which is 125 sq. metres (1,346) square feet). The applicant has been so informed.
Will the Minister have this application examined in view of the fact that the extra floor space is for the provision of a garage which will not be habitable accommodation?
I am prepared to examine any reasonable request. The Deputy should be aware that some garages have extensive works carried out to them and are left in such a condition that they can be converted easily. However, I will look into the application.