Vol. 468 No. 4
354 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 was not approved under the last house improvement grant scheme; whether any consideration or extension of time was allowed in view of the fact that his Department inspector called on the day the house owner had collapsed and was awaiting an ambulance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15616/96]
There is no record of the receipt of an application for a grant under the 1985 house improvement grant scheme in this case. There is, however, a record of an application received in 1979 under a previous scheme. In that case, the applicant's wife asked the Department's inspector to forego his inspection on the day he called because of her husband's ill-health. She intimidated that she would make contact later with the Department, but there is no record of any subsequent contact. Payment of a grant cannot be considered at this stage as a claim for payment of the grant was not received by 30 June 1981, the final date for receipt of such claims.
356 Mr. Leonard asked the Minister for the Environment the proposals, if any, he has for the re-introduction of house improvement and water sewerage grants for dwellings lacking such facilities. [15619/96]
The Government's priorities in the housing area, as set out in A Government of Renewal, are to expand the local authority and other social housing programmes and to upgrade deficient local authority dwellings. As the available resources will, accordingly, be concentrated on these programmes, I have no proposals at this stage to reintroduce a grants scheme for house improvements, including water/sewerage facilities.
