asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state in respect of Waterford City for the past 12 months (a) the number of building schemes submitted to his Department for sanction; (b) the number sanctioned and (c) the number awaiting sanction, and (d) whether steps will be taken to expedite sanction of schemes at present in his Department in view of the fact that 60 per cent. of the local skilled and unskilled workers connected with the building trade are at present unemployed.

In the period referred to three definite schemes were submitted to me by the Waterford Corporation which provided for the erection of 70, 28 and 13 houses respectively. I accorded sanction to the schemes of 70 and 28 houses but sanction has not yet been given to the scheme of 13 houses. The plans respecting this scheme reached the Department on 19th ultimo and are at present being examined. The corporation have also been authorised to acquire compulsorily 12 acres, 3 roods and 26 perches of land on which it is proposed to erect approximately 140 houses. Negotiations are proceeding for the acquisition of a further 9 acres for the erection of about 86 houses. The Deputy appears to have been misinformed as to the present extent of unemployment in the building trade in Waterford.

Will the Minister expedite the sanction of the schemes now before the Department?

The plans have been expedited as much as possible. All these schemes only came before the Department quite recently. In the case of the scheme for 13 houses, the plans were only submitted on the 19th of last month.

My information, which comes from labour sources, is that 60 per cent. of those connected with the building trade in Waterford are unemployed.

The Deputy had better get his information from a more reliable source.

It is a labour source.