asked the Minister for the Environment the average time which elapses between the approval and payment of grants in his Department.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Department of the Environment Grants.
32.
I presume the Deputy has housing grants in mind. Generally speaking, in the period between approval of a grant and its actual payment the particular works have to be completed, my Department notified of such completion by the applicant, a final inspection carried out and the case processed for payment. It, accordingly, follows that it is not meaningful to speak of an average period between the approval and payment of a grant as the period involved in each case is primarily dependent on how long the applicant takes to have the work carried out and to claim payment of the grant
That is fine in theory, but the reality in the Department is that there is a complete hold-up in payment of grants — the £5,000 grant, the reconstruction grant and the subsidy. Will the Minister make an alteration in the Estimate for his Department to allow sufficient funds so that the grant structure can be worked efficiently?
The new house improvement grant scheme is operating at an unprecedented level of interest and take-up; but, despite that, the waiting periods are actually shorter in each case than previously in respect of a much smaller and less attractive grant scheme.
There is not a Deputy in the House who does not know from his clinic that delays are becoming greater and greater. People come to us about the payment of the £5,000 grant, the reconstruction grant and the subsidy. They are being told by a section of the Department that the applications have gone for payment but there are delays of up to six months on some grants. Is the Minister telling the House honestly that this is not happening?
Yes.
If the Minister looks at the Order Paper and the questions for written reply, he will see that Deputies from all over the country are asking for the payments to be expedited.
I am not aware that there are any questions for written answer on today's Order Paper.
Most days in this House the Minister can see lists of such questions.
The Deputy is making speeches.
He does not have to move on to the next question.
The situation in the construction industry is extremely bad, with many people unemployed and many companies going to the wall. Will the Minister make provision in the Department for sufficient funds so that people will not continue to be fooled about these grants and so that the letters of approval will be worth a little more than the paper they are written on?
I have recruited an additional 60 inspectors and introduced an incentive bonus scheme——
It is a bank manager the Minister needs.
——for existing permanent inspectors. In addition, the administrative staff in the Department have been increased by about 50 in order to cater for the volume of applications.
There are 50 questions for written answers today in regard to grants and payment of grants, from Deputies across the country. Is the Minister saying all these Deputies are out of touch with their constituencies? All Deputies, including those in the Minister's party, are looking for inspections and for payment of grants. Are they all wrong: is everybody out of step except our Johnny?
Up to the end of last month there were 82,000 applications.
There are 82,000 applications, but for reconstruction grants the Minister has £24 million in his Estimate. How does he hope to pay grants to 82,000 applicants out of that £24 million? He is holding back payments of grants because there are not sufficient funds in the Estimate.