Tom Morrissey (Progressive Democrats)

It is ironic that I raise this issue on the Adjournment, given that, some months ago, the House debated the issue of the first-time buyer's grant, the level of house building taking place and the exorbitant prices involved. As a councillor, I was involved in the rezoning of land for housing ten years ago. These lands have now become an area of high density housing. Residents are now living in the houses built on the site but six months after moving in, they have not received the first-time buyer's grant because a certificate of floor area has not been furnished by the builder to the Department. These people have spoken to the Department and the builder concerned but both are blaming each other.

I learned today that the builder is going to pay the first-time buyer's grant to these people next week and that they will give an undertaking in writing to their solicitors that they will hand over their grants to the builder when they receive them following the inspector's report and the issuing of the certificates of floor area. It is extraordinary that this type of situation should obtain. I do not know if it is happening in other areas of the country, but it is not satisfactory. I understand that in some areas of Dublin, people receive their grant within four or five weeks. These people have been living in their houses for six months.

We all know how stretched are people's finances when they buy their first house and that they have made commitments to financial institutions in respect of household furnishings or as part of a loan for the house. For those reasons, I ask the Minister of State to look into this case to see if there is any irregularity in this instance. Why should it take so long for a certificate of floor area to be handed over to these first-time buyers and why are they facing such stress during their first major purchase? I look forward to the Minister of State's reply.