asked the Minister for the Environment when the second phase of a mortgage subsidy will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Louth; the amount due; and the reason for the delay in payment.

The second instalment of the mortgage subsidy, that is £800, will be paid to the person named as soon as possible. The claim form was only received in my Department on 6 June 1984.

This seems a rather harmless type of question, but I put it down because I want to ask a supplementary question. I suggest to the Minister that a better way to deal with this subject would be to decentralise it. In view of the constant delays in the payment of various grants, would the Minister not agree it would be preferable to decentralise them and have them administered at local authority level?

I hope the delays the Deputy referred to are not undue delays caused in my Department. Grants are paid out as soon as the details are finalised and agreed. Nevertheless, I accept that there are other problems associated with payment of grants and particularly with the commencement date, the inspection, and so on. I am considering whether this might be done more efficiently at local level. I accept the Deputy's suggestion in that respect.