Housing (Amendment) Act, 1954
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Grant in respect of works executed on house. |
12.—(1) The Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance and subject to regulations made under this section, make, out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas, to a person executing repair works or improvement works on a house a grant not exceeding whichever of the following amounts is the smaller:— | |
(a) £80 for each separate dwelling forming part of the house after the execution of the works, | ||
(b) one-third of the cost of the works, excluding the cost of any decoration and the cost of any works in respect of which a grant is paid under section 7 of the Act of 1952. | ||
(2) A grant may be made under subsection (1) of this section only if— | ||
(I) either— | ||
(a) (i) the house to be repaired or improved is occupied by or is suitable for occupation by persons of the working classes or agricultural labourers within the meaning of the Labourers Acts and is certified by the housing authority (or, in the case of an appeal, by the Minister) to be suitable for repair or improvement, and | ||
(ii) the Minister is satisfied that the house by reason of structural or sanitary defects is, or is likely to become, dangerous or injurious to health or that the proposed works are necessary for the purpose of rendering it more suitable for human habitation, or | ||
(b) the execution of the works has been required by a notice served (whether before or after the passing of this Act) under section 19 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1931 (No. 50 of 1931), and | ||
(II) the works have been carried out in a satisfactory and efficient manner and the house is in all respects fit for human habitation. | ||
(3) Where a grant is made to a person under subsection (1) of this section, the housing authority may make to that person a grant of an amount not exceeding the grant made under that subsection. | ||
(4) Where a housing authority refuse to certify for the purposes of this section that a house is suitable for repair or improvement, the person concerned may appeal to the Minister and if the Minister, after consideration of the appeal, is satisfied that the house is so suitable, he may certify accordingly. | ||
(5) For the purposes of this section a housing authority shall have the like powers of borrowing as are conferred on such authority for the purposes of the Housing of the Working Classes Acts or the Labourers Acts. | ||
(6) Where a grant is paid under this section in respect of any works, no grant shall be paid in respect of those works under any other section of the Housing (Financial and Miscellaneous Provisions) Acts, 1932 to 1954. | ||
(7) Where a grant is made under this section in respect of works executed on a house, the valuation of the tenement consisting of or including the house shall not, on any valuation or revision of the valuation thereof coming into force within seven years after the completion of the works, be increased on account of any increase in the value of such tenement arising from the works. | ||
(8) The Minister may make regulations for the purposes of this section. | ||
(9) In this section— | ||
“sanitary defects” includes lack of air space or of ventilation, darkness, dampness, absence of adequate and readily accessible water supply or sanitary accommodation or of other conveniences and inadequate paving or drainage of courts, yards or passages; | ||
“structural defects” means decay of walls, roof or structural woodwork, or other similar defects. | ||
(10) After the passing of this Act, grants, other than grants allocated before such passing, shall not be made under section 5 of the Housing and Labourers Act, 1937 (No. 42 of 1937), under that section as extended by subsection (1) of section 33 of the Act of 1952 or under section 8 of the Act of 1950. |