Vol. 510 No. 3
306 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the reason a new housing grant has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway in spite of the fact that legislation allows a legally separated person to avail of a grant even though the person had been previously housed and now has an established need for housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22598/99]
The conditions governing the new house grant scheme normally preclude payment of a grant where a person who is party to a joint application or the spouse of such person had previously purchased or built, individually or with each other, another house for his or her own occupation. However, a grant may be allowed where the marriage of the person has been dissolved or annulled by court order, or the person is separated under a court order or a deed of separation, and the person and any dependants are in need of housing; and the Minister is satisfied that refusal to pay a grant would cause undue hardship. Each such application is considered on its merits.
In this particular case, having regard to the fact that under a separation agreement the applicant received the beneficial interest in the family home, payment of a new house grant could not be allowed.
