asked the Minister for the Environment if he will amend the new house grants' scheme to qualify those applicants for payment under the old scheme for houses commenced prior to the 1st January this year.

6.

asked the Minister for the Environment why a new house grant was not given to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare.

7.

asked the Minister for the Environment why persons (names supplied) in County Cork have not been paid housing grants in respect of new houses recently erected by them.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 4, 6 and 7 together.

As I announced today, I will be prepared to consider applications for new house grants under the scheme which was in operation up to 5th July, 1977, from persons who had entered into a contract to purchase a house or flat, or whose dwelling was commenced—that is, the foundations were poured—at any time prior to 26th May, 1977. The earlier concession announced last September was limited to houses commenced after 31st December, 1976. This arrangement will operate only for the period ending on 30th December, 1977. Applications must be received in writing in my Department not later than that date and payment will be made provided the dwelling is satisfactorily completed before 1st January, 1979.

The applications referred to by Deputy Bermingham in Question No. 6 and the second person named by Deputy O'Keeffe in his Question No. 7 are therefore now being reconsidered. However, there is no record of an application for a housing grant from the first person named by Deputy O'Keeffe.

Could the Minister say if there is an income basis involved in houses that were commenced prior to the 1st January last year? Does this mean that the £1,000 will be allocated irrespective of income?

There is no income basis in regard to the £1,000 grant cases, but there was an income basis, as the Deputy knows, in regard to the supplementary grants under the old scheme. It is a question of which scheme applies. There will be no gap. A person will qualify under one scheme or the other. Under the old scheme there was an income basis, but under the new scheme there is no means test requirement. I cannot say in regard to a specific case which scheme applies, but all cases will be covered by one scheme or the other. Until the pre-£1,000 grant cases are absorbed the means test will continue to apply to the supplementary grant.

The Minister can appreciate the difficulty?

I do.

One person has been ruled out because the house commenced before the 1st January. We have until the end of this month to decide whether he will qualify under the £1,000 scheme or the old scheme. Would it be in order that two application forms should be sent out to him?

Yes, that would protect his position.

In view of the postage difficulties over Christmas would the Minister take steps to notify anybody who has already applied and has been rejected, and will he take steps to advertise publicly so that nobody will lose out under this closing of the gap which has been announced? There are only two weeks to the date mentioned.

I appreciate the sense of the Deputy's suggestion and I will bring it to the attention of my colleague. It is the firm intention of the Government that there should be no gap and that all cases will be met. The Deputy's suggestion is helpful in that direction. It may be a question of the extension of time. I assure the House that nobody will suffer.

In view of the second thoughts which the Minister for the Environment has obviously had about the scheme, would it be possible that the scheme may be further amended to include first time house purchasers so that the £1,000 grant scheme will not apply to new houses only.

That is a separate question.

It is an amendment to the scheme.

It is a different area and a separate question.

Would the Minister deny that it might be possible?

Question No. 5.