asked the Minister for the Environment if sworn affidavits relating to house improvement and solid fuel conversion grants were accepted by his Department after 31 January 1980; the number of affidavits accepted in each case; if such affidavits are still being accepted; if any public notices were issued to the effect that such affidavits might be accepted; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Every application for a solid fuel grant must incorporate a statutory declaration by the applicant that the information given on the application is correct. In addition, in the administration of the various housing grants schemes, sworn affidavits are from time to time accepted by my Department as a means of verifying particulars in relation to the applications. A record of such affidavits accepted is not kept. Each relates to an individual case and is associated with the other papers relating to that case. Since the question of the need for and the acceptability of an affidavit arises in individual cases and is pursued directly with the applicants, a public notice on the lines suggested by the Deputy would not be appropriate.

Many people applied for this type of grant and their applications were either mislaid or could not be found when the time came to look for them and in some cases affidavits appear to have been accepted by the Department. Is the Department still accepting affidavits in relation to reconstruction grants and solid fuel conversion grants?

Affidavits cannot be accepted as evidence that the grant application was received in the Department because the condition lays down quite clearly that the application would have to be received by a certain date and an affidavit does not mean it was received.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Is it not the case that many applications have been lost and that replies from the Minister's Department to that effect have been sent out?

Many claims have been made to the Department that applications were mislaid or lost but we have no evidence that they ever arrived at the Department.

That is because they were lost.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Is the Minister aware of cases where inspections were carried out and the files lost? Inspections could not be carried out unless the applications were in.

I am not aware of any such applications.

Would the Minister confirm that in fact in no case were affidavits that the document had been sent to the Department accepted as proof?

I am not aware of——

I asked the Minister if they had been accepted. Will he tell the House at a later stage whether they were or were not?

Yes.

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