Mr. Pat McCormack:

I thank the Deputy for his comments and questions. Certainly for the one-off rural dweller, whether in a new house or a revamped one, the service charges for footpaths and street lighting are hugely frustrating, regardless of whether they are young or middle aged.

He mentioned that HomeBond is an issue and it is certainly is a problem for people buying houses that were partially completed at an earlier time. He talked about a number of inconsistencies in regard to building an extension out the back. Such work is looked on differently in different counties. The same is true with TII in respect of roads.

One of the challenges with regard to derelict houses is the council's interpretations. There can be questions around retaining a wall. There can be health and safety issues with retaining a wall, as well as issues with energy ratings and so on. The Deputy alluded to the fact that in 5% of septic tank inspections there was a problem which had to be remedied in order for people to be able to draw down the grant aid.

We need to be very sure that we do not overburden the people that are building. The availability and feasibility of finance is a real issue in the context of bridging the gap while waiting for the €70,000 grant. For the drawdown of a mortgage, there are four different drawdown periods, or five with some financial institutions. It would help builders if the grant aid could be drawn down in four or five tranches as well, rather than having to wait until the very end to get all of the grant aid.