S.I. No. 290/1989:

HOUSING (IMPROVEMENT GRANTS) REGULATIONS, 1989.

HOUSING (IMPROVEMENT GRANTS) REGULATIONS, 1989.

The Minister for the Environment, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 5 of the Housing Act, 1966 (No. 21 of 1966) and sections 5 and 8 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1979 (No. 27 of 1979), with the consent of the Minister for Finance, hereby makes the following Regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Housing (Improvement Grants) Regulations, 1989.

2. In these Regulations--

"the Act of 1979" means the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1979 ; and

"the Regulations of 1988" means the Housing (Improvement Grants) Regulations, 1988 ( S.I. No. 261 of 1988 ).

3. The Regulations of 1988 are hereby amended by the substitution for paragraph (b) of sub-article (1) of article 7 of the following paragraph:

"(b) unless--

(i) the works to which the grant relates are, in the opinion of the Minister, satisfactorily completed on or before the 31st day of May, 1990; and

(ii) the claim for the payment of the grant is received by the Minister on or before the 31st day of May, 1990 or, where such claim is received after the 31st day of May, 1990, verification is furnished that it was sent by registered post or by letter postmarked in sufficient time to permit normal postal delivery by that date;".

4. The Regulations of 1988 are hereby amended by the substitution for article 8 of the following article--

"8. A grant, other than for the provision and installation of a private water supply or private sewerage facilities as part of a group water supply scheme or group sewerage facilities scheme, shall not be paid under the Regulations of 1983 unless--

( a ) the application for the grant was received by the Minister before the 1st day of December, 1985, and an appropriate inspection has been carried out;

( b ) the works to which the grant relates are, in the opinion of the Minister, satisfactorily completed on or before the 31st day of May, 1990; and

( c ) the claim for the payment of the grant is received by the Minister on or before the 31st day of May, 1990 or, where such claim is received after the 31st day of May, 1990, verification is furnished that it was sent by registered post or by letter postmarked in sufficient time to permit normal postal delivery by that date.".

5. The Table of Improvement Grants set out in the First Schedule to the Regulations of 1988 is hereby amended--

( a ) by the substitution at Reference Number 1, Column (2) of "installation of a water supply, other than the installation of a water supply as part of a group water supply scheme" for "installation of a water supply", and

( b ) by the substitution at Reference Number 2, Column (2) of "installation of sewerage facilities, other than the installation of sewerage facilities as part of a group sewerage facilities scheme" for "installation of sewerage facilities".

6. (1) Subject to sub-articles (2) and (3) of this article and notwithstanding the Regulations of 1988, a grant not exceeding £3,000 may be paid in respect of works consisting of the reroofing of a house provided by a housing authority, where such works were approved by the Minister on or before the 22nd day of January, 1988.

(2) A grant shall not be paid under this article where a grant has previously been paid under any enactment (including the Act of 1979) in respect of works which consisted of, or included, works which are eligible for a grant under this article.

(3) A grant shall not be paid under this article unless the works to which the grant relates are certified by the housing authority as having been satisfactorily completed.

(4) Payment of a grant under this article shall not affect the entitlement of a person to a grant for carrying out improvement works to a house other than works in respect of which a grant is paid under this article.

(5) Part II of the Regulations of 1988 (as amended by articles 3 and 4 of these Regulations) shall not apply to a grant under this article.

7. A loan under section 8 of the Act of 1979 in respect of the carrying out to a house of works in respect of which a grant is payable under article 6 of these Regulations may be made notwithstanding article 53 of the Housing Regulations, 1980 ( S.I. No. 296 of 1980 ), (as substituted by the Housing Regulations, 1980 (Amendment) Regulations, 1982 ( S.I. No. 177 of 1982 ) and amended by the Housing Regulations, 1980 (Amendment) Regulations, 1986 ( S.I. No. 386 of 1986 )).

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for the Environment

this 9th day of November 1989.

PADRAIG FLYNN,

Minister for the Environment.

The Minister for Finance hereby consents to the foregoing Regulations.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Finance dated this

9th day of November 1989.

ALBERT REYNOLDS,

Minister for Finance.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

The Regulations provide that the final date for the completion of work and the claiming of payment of a grant for house improvement works is 31st May, 1990.

The Regulations also provide for payment of a grant not exceeding £3,000 per house in respect of the reroofing of certain houses provided by a housing authority and for the waiving of normal income limits where loans are made by a housing authority in respect of such reroofing.