Cork supplementary grant funding delays
O’Keeffe challenged the lack of funds for Cork West applicants, citing a man waiting six months for an approved grant. Connolly promised £65,000 in early April, cited Cork County Council’s allocation and questioned whether paperwork was complete, but offered no immediate resolution.
asked the Minister for the Environment whether he is aware that Cork County Council are unable to pay supplementary grants because of a shortage of funds; and whether he will take steps to provide funds for the Council for this purpose as soon as possible.
Comment on this
I understand that while no problems exist in this regard in the county health district of North and South Cork, the Cork (West) County Council are awaiting the issue of monies from the Local Loans Fund to enable them to meet further expenditure on supplementary housing grants. I propose to authorise the issue of £65,000 to the council in early April.
Comment on this
Will the Minister agree that it is a disgraceful state of affairs that an individual who is legally and morally entitled to a grant cannot get that grant because the local authority have not the money to pay it?
Comment on this
I am making every effort to help out in this respect and the necessary moneys will issue in early April.
Comment on this
Will the Minister deal with the point I raised? This question is prompted by a specific case where a man has been waiting for six months, having been told that he will receive a grant, but the county council have not the necessary money.
Comment on this
A capital allocation of £8,319,000 was made to Cork County Council for the payment of house purchase, improvement and low rise mortgage grants in 1981 and a copy of the notification was sent to the council. As councils go, Cork County Council are doing extremely well and I do not begrudge it to them.
Comment on this
Bearing in mind that the Government are the main source of local authority funds, is it not disgraceful that a man should have to wait six months for a grant to which he has been informed he is entitled, having cleared all the paper work and done everything necessary to qualify?
Comment on this
In several cases it has been found that the paper work has not been done. I cannot say what the demand will be in the future.
Comment on this
When it was drawn to the attention of the Minister at the end of last year that money was not available to pay grants which the council were legally and morally obliged to pay, why did the Minister not make funds available to the local authority?