asked the Minister for the Environment the total number of applications received by his Department for (1) house improvement and (2) solid fuel grants from the inception of both schemes up to 31 December 1979; and the total number of such grants paid to date.

Separate records are not kept of applications received and grants paid under the house improvements grants scheme introduced in December 1977 and the previous scheme. The number of applications received under both schemes from 1 January 1978 to 31 December 1979 was 74,938. The number of applications received to 31 December 1979 under the solid fuel grant scheme, introduced in July 1979 was 15,145.

It is not possible to state how many grants have been paid to date in respect of these applications. However, the number of house improvement grants paid from 1 January 1978 to 31 January 1981 was 74,835 and the number of solid fuel grants paid from July 1979 to 31 January 1981 was 25,418.

Is the House correct in assuming that the Minister can give us the gross total payments in relation to house improvement grants and solid fuel grants to a considerable degree of accuracy, having counted to 74,835 house improvement grants, but that he cannot give a breakdown on a yearly basis?

I cannot give a breakdown because there may have been partial payments of grants. In some cases an instalment may be paid and there is a carry-over to another year.

Surely the Department have on their files the actual number of grants that have been paid in full each year and the number of cases where partial payment has been made.

No. Partial payment is not dealt with in the same way as payment in full. Last year the total number of solid fuel and new house grants paid was approximately 51,000.

Would the Minister not agree that the stewardship of this Department — not the Minister personally — is very inadequate vis-á-vis that of other Government Departments? Could he give the House any assurance that the whole system of monitoring and filing these applications will be improved so that we could get quarterly figures, as is the case with many other statistics which are published in a quarterly bulletin? Is the Minister satisfied with the system?

Yes, especially in view of the way payment is demanded. A number of public representatives from all parties ask me from time to time to pay an instalment and I am very flexible in this matter.