Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697804747668.pdf (Ireland)
BILLE NA dTITHE (IASACHTAI AGUS DEONTAIS), 1962 HOUSING (LOANS AND GRANTS) BILL, 1962 EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM Introductory Legislation governing the making of grants for private housing has been renewed and amended at biennial intervals since the enactment of the Housing [Amendment] Act, 1948.

The present Bill provides for the amendment, consolidation and simplification of existing law.
No terminal date for the completion of grant- aided works is specified and it will, therefore, no longer be necessary to seek recurrent renewals of legislation for State grants.

Provisions governing the payment of grants for installation of private water and sewerage facilities are not retained in Housing legislation but are being dealt with in a Local Government (Sanitary Services) Bill.
Grants for New Houses State grants are preserved at existing levels, but grants for unserviced new houses will in future be paid (Section 2) only where a piped water supply and sewerage system cannot reasonably be provided.

Section 12 of the Bill discontinues the graded system of supplementary grants for new houses, leaving housing authori­ ties to decide the type of supplementary grant scheme most suited to local circumstances within specified maximum limits of income and valuation.
The existing annual income limit is £624 for county boroughs and contiguous areas and £520 elsewhere, but no limit applies to tenants of local authority dwellings or persons eligible for such tenancies.

The Bill introduces a uniform maximum limit of £832 per annum for all areas and income classes.

An increase to £50 in the present maximum valuation limit of £35 is proposed for farmers.
The grants are discretionary and housing authorities can determine the classes of persons or the types of houses to be eligible.
Grants for Reconstruction or Improvement Hitherto, grants under separate sections were paid for (a) the reconstruction of houses in the occupation of farmers, the total rateable valuation of whose holdings did not exceed £50 and the reconstruction of houses by agricultural labourers for their own occupation in a rural area; and (6) the repair and improvement of houses by other persons.
Section 3 provides for the inclusion of these grants in a single section but there is no change in the basis on which the separate grants are at present determined, viz., two- thirds of the cost of the work in the case of category (o) and one- third in the case of category (6), subject in both cases to the existing maxima of £100, £120 and £140 for dwellings containing 3, 4 and 5 or more rooms respectively.
The expression “ agricultural labourer ” is not retained in the present Bill but grants of two- thirds of the cost are still being reserved for persons engaged solely or mainly in agricultural work.

Eligibility for supplementary grants for reconstruction and improvement works is not at present subject to statutory maxima of income and valuation.

Section 8 preserves this position.


Second Grants Section 4 of the Bill deals with the payment of reconstruction and improvement grants after the payment of a previous grant.
The effect of the Section may be summarised as retaining the present period of 15 years before a second grant can be paid, reducing this period to 10 years where re-roofing is necessary but permitting the payment within the limiting periods of grants where storm damage or urgent reconstruction is necessary for causes outside the applicant’s control.

This concession applies also to the provision of a bathroom or extra rooms for the relief of overcrowding.
The maximum grants under the section will be as follows:— (a) For extra rooms to relieve over­ crowding involving an addition .... to floor area £50 per room (b) For provision of a bathroom involv­ ing an addition to floor area .... £50 (c) For storm damage two-thirds of the cost in the case of persons deriving their livelihood solely or mainly from agriculture and not exceeding £50 valuation and one- third in other cases, subject to the maxima of £100, £120 and £140 as appropriate- For works urgently necessary to conserve house—one-third of cost subject to maxima of £100, £120 or £140.
The aggregate of grants made at any one time under the Section must not exceed the statutory maxima of £100, £120 or £140.

Grants for Minimum Essential Repairs Section 5 of the Bill introduces a new type of grant to assist minimum essential preservation work in County Health Districts in cases where the normal reconstruction grant cannot be availed of or where it is clear that the circumstances do not justify the expenditure required to comply with the higher standards applicable to the normal grants.
Typical circumstances in which a grant of this type might be made are those in which an isolated owner-occupied house in a County Health District could not be made fit at reasonable expense, assisted by the normal recon­ struction grant, which is intended to make the house suitable in all respects for human habitation.

The Section also provides that a housing authority, writh the co-operation of the occupant may, in a County Health District, execute minimum repairs (e.g.
roof repair) which will give a greater degree of habitability to the house during the life-time of the occupant.

The State grant for such minimum essential work will not exceed £80 or two-thirds of the cost, whichever is the lesser.

The housing authority is empowered to defray the balance of the cost by cash, materials, labour or in any other way.
Grants for Housing of Elderly Persons Section 6 of the Bill introduces a new scheme of grants to bodies approved by the Minister providing housing for elderly persons.

The maximum grant is £300 in respect of each separate dwelling unit provided.

The housing authority may make a supplementary grant of equal amount.

Experimentation in House Design Section 7 provides for payment of a newr type of grant designed to encourage experimentation in the production of lowr cost housing.
The grant for the erection of a prototype will not exceed 50% of the agreed estimated cost.

Approved reproductions of a successful prototype possibly with modifications will be eligible for normal new house grants and supplementary grants.

2 Loans for Private Housing Section 11 provides for loans to persons acquiring or con­ structing houses.

When brought into operation it will replace the existing Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts as regards future loans.
Provision is made for the abolition of the existing statutory limit of £1,800 for loans in county boroughs and contiguous areas and that of £1,600 for other areas.

It is proposed to empower the Minister to determine, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, the maximum advances for the purposes of this section.
Section 10 empowers housing authorities to make advances for reconstruction, repair and improvement works including advances to be made to tenant-purchasers of vested cottages and of other local authority houses.

Under Section 20 the Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, determine the maximum loan under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts pending the coming into operation of Section 11.
Section 13 enables housing authorities to guarantee advances by building societies, assurance companies, banks or other industrial or commercial organisations for both house purchase and recon­ struction or improvement.

The existing legislation (Section 10 of the Housing [Amendment] Act, 1956,) limits the bodies which can be given a guarantee to building societies or assurance companies and the purpose of the guarantee to house purchase or erection.
The other main provisions of the Bill deal with: General (a) Power to make reductions in grants where conditions are not complied with in full (Section 17), and repayment of grant on breach of an undertaking to fulfil certain conditions (Section 16).

(b) Reduction in stamp duty on instruments giving effect to the transfer of new houses for which grants have been or will be made (Section 14).

This is a re-enactment of Section 7 of the Housing [Amendment] Act, 1956.
(c) Power to make a grant for a house which complies with statutory regulations, notwithstanding conflict with any local Act or Bye-laws (Section 19).

This is a re-enact­ ment of Section 15 of the Act of 1932.

(d) Payment of grant to successor of deceased applicant (Section 18).

This is a re-enactment of Section 11 of the Act of 1950.

(e) Section 8 of the Act of 1932, as extended by Section 13 of the Act of 1950, is re-enacted in Section 15.
It prohibits the making of a grant in any instance in which it is shown that trade union or equivalent rates of wages were not paid and conditions of labour observed.

(/) Section 22 re-enacts Section 25 of the Housing [Amend­ ment] Act, 1952, which enables the Minister to make grants in cases of non-compliance with statutory or other conditions provided a certificate of approval has been issued and the applicant has acted in good faith.

An Roinn Rialtais Aitiuil, Iuil, 1962 Wt.

F34702/G/7.—625.

7/62.


C.&Co.

(4381).

G.16.

3