asked the Minister for the Environment if he will review the condition that prevents an applicant for a £1,000 new house grant being paid the grant because the application was not received in the Department within 12 months of the applicant occupying the house.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - New House Grant.
20.
I have certain aspects of the condition referred to under review at the present time.
The reason this question was put down was to highlight the difficulty people who are building their own houses have encountered due to this regulation. Will the Minister of State consider involving local authorities in this matter? Will he ensure that, where planning permission is issued for a new house, notification will be forwarded at that time to the applicant regarding new house grants?
As I indicated in my reply, I have certain aspects of the condition referred to under review and I will take on board the suggestion made by the Deputy. In my view all these matters should be devolved to local authorities.
Will the Minister not agree that the main thing is to provide grants to ensure that the necessary houses are constructed? As public representatives, we are often told by the Department that they cannot trace applications even though the people concerned claim they have made such applications in good faith. When people make a second application they find that the 12-months stipulation debars them from receiving a grant.
The Deputy is well aware that we must have regulations. I agree they may be cumbersome and tiresome at times but if they did not exist there could be an abuse of public money and none of us wants that.