Eamon Scanlon (Fianna Fail)

That is good. There was some confusion. People were under the impression that planning permission should be obtained by 31 December 2004. I am delighted to know that once a person has applied for planning permission in this year, he or she can still claim the benefits from the scheme.

With regard to Senator McHugh's contribution, there are victims in the matter of the accounts which may have been held in the North. I am aware of a situation where a widow discovered her husband had an account in the North containing £4,000. I understand there are serious penalties attaching to that account and the funds therein. That woman is completely innocent. She was not even aware that her husband had the account until after his death. I am aware of similar cases. I ask the Minister to consider those hardship cases and be a little lenient as there was no intent to defraud the State on the part of the beneficiaries of the accounts. I thank the Minister for his work for the country.