asked the Minister for the Environment if he is fully satisfied that the criteria presently being adopted for entitlement to a house improvement grant is the correct one, with particular reference to inspection before any work is carried out.

In relation to the existing house improvement grants scheme I am satisfied that the qualifying conditions, including the prior inspection requirement, as provided for in the Housing (Improvement Grant) Regulations, 1983 are appropriate and necessary.

In respect of what the Minister has just said, if a roof has been blown off because of a storm, or in the event of fire where people cannot wait, for obvious reasons, for an inspection will he consider paying a grant in such circumstances?

That has occurred in cases of emergency. In fact, in cases of emergency if a person rings the Department indicating the emergency an inspector will visit the scene forthwith and the application will be filled up on site. If, for some reason, an inspector cannot travel as a matter of urgency and work proceeds after the date of the phone call the grant may be paid.

Is the Minister aware of instances where phone calls were made to the Department, the Minister's office and the Minister himself, in connection with a grant, but, subsequently, the grant was refused? Will the Minister accept that in the case of a roof being blown off in a storm or serious damage being caused by a fire, work must commence almost on the day of the occurrence?

The system has worked to date. There may have been instances where there was not an emergency. If the Deputy brings any case to my attention I will have it investigated. I must repeat that where there is a genuine emergency there are facilities for paying the grant.

I will bring the instances to the Minister's attention but I should like to know if he can recall that I was in touch with him already? I made a verbal request to the Minister and followed that up with a written one. It appears that the Minister has almost agreed to pay these people the grants and I will certainly follow that up by a visit to his office this afternoon. I should like to raise the question of the many people who improved their accommodation out of necessity. If the work was in progress when the scheme of grants was announced those people could not have sought an inspection before they started the work and I should like to know if the Minister will consider paying grants to such people.

No.

Those people out of sheer necessity had to improve their home whether by replacing a roof or providing additional rooms. Why is it that a person down the road who may have waited six months longer will be paid the grant?

In all such schemes there is always a deadline and people lose out. I should like to remind the Deputy that if people are entitled to a grant they will be paid it.