asked the Minister for the Environment if he will approve the payment of a new house grant to persons (details supplied) in County Kildare as the house has now been built in accordance with instructions received from the grants section of his Department.

It is not a function of the grants section of my Department to issue instructions to grant applicants on how to bring the floor area of individual houses within the grant limits. General guidelines are issued from time to time and these are set out in the memorandum HA1 available to all intending applicants.

As already indicated to the Deputy in correspondence, the application for a grant was rejected in this case because the floor area of the dormer bungalow is in excess of the grant size limit. If the applicants have any proposals to reduce the floor area they should be submitted for consideration.

The floor space referred to in the question concerns an attic which has not been developed. Is the Minister aware that the grants section of his Department informed me by telephone that this work would qualify for a grant? In view of that will the Minister have the case investigated with a view to paying the grant because the couple concerned are in need of the money?

If the Deputy received that information there is a doubt and I will have the matter re-examined.

17.