No. 29/1979:

HOUSING (GAELTACHT) (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1979

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

1 Interpretation.

2 Increase of limits on certain grants.

3 Grants in relation to houses.

4 Holiday chalet building grants.

5 Hostel building grants.

6 Amendment of section 7 (1A) of Act of 1929.

7 Loans for holiday chalets.

8 Increased grants in respect of work on offshore islands.

9 Regulations varying amounts of grants.

10 Short title and collective citation.

SCHEDULE

AN ACT TO AMEND AND EXTEND THE HOUSING (GAELTACHT) ACTS, 1929 TO 1967.

[14th November, 1979]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:

1.—(1) In this Act—

"the Acts" means the Housing (Gaeltacht) Acts, 1929 to 1979;

"the Act of 1929" means the Housing (Gaeltacht) Act, 1929 ;

"the Act of 1953" means the Housing (Gaeltacht) (Amendment) Act, 1953 ;

"the Act of 1959" means the Housing (Gaeltacht) (Amendment) Act, 1959 ;

"the Act of 1964" means the Housing (Gaeltacht) (Amendment) Act, 1964 ;

"the Act of 1967" means the Housing (Gaeltacht) (Amendment) Act, 1967 .

(2) The Housing (Gaeltacht) Acts, 1929 to 1967, and this Act shall be construed as one.

2.—(1) The amount of a grant under section 3 (1) of the Act of 1929 shall—

( a ) where the erection of the dwelling-house commenced on or after the 1st day of January, 1973, and before the 27th day of May, 1977, not exceed the appropriate sum specified in Part 1 of the Schedule to this Act, and

( b ) where the erection of the dwelling-house commenced on or after the 27th day of May, 1977, and before the passing of this Act or commences after such passing, not exceed the appropriate sum specified in Part II of the Schedule to this Act.

(2) The amount of a grant under section 3 (2) of the Act of 1929 shall—

( a ) where the work towards which the grant is made commenced on or after the 1st day of June, 1972, and before the 1st day of November, 1977, not exceed £250, and

( b ) where the work towards which the grant is made commenced on or after the 1st day of November, 1977, and before the passing of this Act or commences after such passing, not exceed £750.

(3) The amount of a grant under section 3 (7) (inserted by the Act of 1959) of the Act of 1929, as amended by the Act of 1967, shall—

( a ) where the erection of the dwelling-house commenced on or after the 1st day of January, 1973, and before the 27th day of May, 1977, not exceed the appropriate sum specified in Part I of the Schedule to this Act, and

( b ) where the erection of the dwelling-house commenced on or after the 27th day of May, 1977, and before the passing of this Act or commences after such passing, not exceed the appropriate sum specified in Part II of the Schedule to this Act.

(4) Where the Minister is satisfied that an applicant who is eligible to receive a building grant under section 3 (1) or 3 (7) (inserted by the Act of 1959) of the Act of 1929 is unable to erect a dwelling-house—

( a ) with a floor area of at least 40 square metres, or

( b ) with sewerage and piped water supply and a fitted bathroom with hot water supply,

the Minister may, at his discretion, make to such applicant a grant under whichever of those provisions is relevant reduced by such amount as he may consider appropriate.

(5) ( a ) The limitation imposed by section 2 (1) of the Act of 1964 shall not apply in any case to which subsection (1) of this section applies.

( b ) The limitation imposed by section 2 (2) of the Act of 1964 shall not apply in any case to which subsection (2) of this section applies.

( c ) The limitation imposed by section 2 (3) of the Act of 1964 shall not apply in any case to which subsection (3) of this section applies.

3.—(1) In paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (e) of section 3 (5) (inserted by the Act of 1959) of the Act of 1929, as amended by section 3 (1) of the Act of 1964,—

( a ) where the work towards which the grant is made commenced on or after the 1st day of January, 1973, and before the 1st day of November, 1977, references to £90, £60, £200 and £55 shall be substituted for the references to £60, £35, £150 and £40, respectively, and

( b ) where the work towards which the grant is made commenced on or after the 1st day of November, 1977, and before the passing of this Act or commences after such passing, references to £360, £300, £600 and £170, respectively, shall be substituted for the references to £90, £60, £200 and £55 (inserted by this section).

(2) Section 3 (6) (inserted by the Act of 1959) of the Act of 1929, as amended by section 3 (2) of the Act of 1964, is hereby amended by—

( a ) the insertion in subparagraph (a) after "the grant" of", where the provision of the extension commenced before the 1st day of January, 1973,"; and

( b ) the addition thereto of the following subparagraphs:

"(c) A grant under this subsection towards the provision of an extension which commenced on or after the 1st day of January, 1973, and before the 1st day of November, 1977, shall not exceed—

(i) three-quarters of the approved cost,

(ii) £15 per square metre of floor area,

(iii) £180 for an extension consisting of one room to a dwelling-house,

(iv) £360 for an extension consisting of two rooms to a dwelling-house,

(v) £540 for an extension consisting of three rooms to a dwelling-house,

whichever is the least: provided that no grant shall be made in respect of a room the floor area of which is less than eight square metres.

( d ) A grant under this subsection towards the provision of an extension which commenced on or after the 1st day of November, 1977, and before the passing of this Act or which commences after such passing, shall not exceed—

(i) three-quarters of the approved cost,

(ii) £22.50 per square metre of floor area,

(iii) £270 for an extension consisting of one room to a dwelling-house,

(iv) £540 for an extension consisting of two rooms to a dwelling-house,

(v) £810 for an extension consisting of three rooms to a dwelling-house,

whichever is the least: provided that no grant shall be made in respect of a room the floor area of which is less than eight square metres.

( e ) Grants under this subsection shall not be made for an extension or extensions consisting of more than three rooms to a dwelling-house.".

4.—In section 3A (1) (inserted by the Act of 1959) of the Act of 1929, as amended by section 4 of the Act 1964—

( a ) a reference to £450 shall be substituted for the reference to £300 where the work commenced on or after the 1st day of January, 1973, and before the 1st day of November, 1977, and

( b ) a reference to £600 shall be substituted for the reference to £450 (inserted by this section) where the work commenced on or after the 1st day of November, 1977, and before the passing of this Act or commences after such passing.

5.—Section 3A (2) (inserted by the Act of 1959) of the Act of 1929 is hereby amended by—

( a ) the insertion after "erect" of ", or to adapt existing premises to make them suitable for use as",

and

( b ) the insertion after "erection" of "or adaptation of existing premises, as the case may be,".

6.—Section 7 (1A) (inserted by the Act of 1953) of the Act of 1929 is hereby amended by the insertion after "the same dwelling-house" of "provided that this subsection shall not apply to an improving grant made for the purpose of installing a back-boiler or other solid fuel burning appliance, which will provide a hot water supply, where neither is already installed".

7.—In relation to a holiday chalet the building of which commenced on or after the 1st day of January, 1973, section 5 (3) of the Act of 1959 is hereby amended by the substitution of "the amount of the grant for "£200".

8.—(1) The amount of a grant payable under any other provision of the Acts shall be increased by fifty per cent. where the work towards which the grant is made commenced on or after the 1st day of January, 1977, on an offshore island which is located in an area for the time being determined to be a Gaeltacht area by order under section 2 of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1956 .

(2) In this section "island" means an island which is not accessible by road from the mainland.

9.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of the Acts, the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, may, from time to time, by regulations, vary the amount of any grant payable under the Acts.

(2) Regulations under subsection (1) of this section shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after they are made and if either House, within the next twenty-one days on which that House has sat after the regulations are laid before it, passes a resolution annulling the regulations, the regulations shall be annulled accordingly, but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under the regulations.

10.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Housing (Gaeltacht) (Amendment) Act, 1979 .

(2) The Housing (Gaeltacht) Acts, 1929 to 1967, and this Act may be cited together as the Housing (Gaeltacht) Acts, 1929 to 1979.

Section 2.

SCHEDULE

PART I

BUILDING GRANTS IN RESPECT OF DWELLING-HOUSES, THE ERECTION OF WHICH COMMENCED ON OR AFTER 1st JANUARY, 1973, AND BEFORE 27th MAY, 1977.

PART II

BUILDING GRANTS IN RESPECT OF DWELLING-HOUSES, THE ERECTION OF WHICH COMMENCED ON OR AFTER 27th MAY, 1977.

ACTS REFERRED TO