§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will extend the qualifying size condition for grant in respect of replacement dwellings on farms beyond the present 100 sq m restriction.
§ Mr. AtkinsWhilst existing floor area is not a factor when considering applications for grant for a replacement house or farmhouse, a replacement dwelling with a standard floor area of 100 sq m—1,050 sq ft—is regarded as reasonable to meet normal family requirements. In cases where specific family need can be established, such as accommodation for a disabled person, alleviating overcrowding or providing facilities to accommodate additional farm workers, and where these cannot be met within the standard 100 sq m floor area the Housing Executive, which administers this scheme, has discretion to exceed that standard.
Although farms which were certified as "viable" by the Department of Agriculture, used to enjoy preferential treatment for grants purposes, such status gave no automatic entitlement to a particular size of floor area. 432W Applicants for grant aid who can demonstrate the need for additional floor space will not, therefore, be disadvantaged under the replacement grant scheme.