asked the Minister for Finance whether he is aware that coast erosion at Portrane and Donabate is very severe at present and threatens to undermine a number of houses in this area; and, if so, whether he will consider allocating a grant towards the building of a suitable wall to keep out the sea in this area.

I would refer the Deputy to the reply which I gave on the 3rd November, 1949, to a similar question asked by him. The position remains unchanged.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the position has got much worse since he replied to me some time ago? Is he further aware that there are quite a number of houses in danger of being washed away by the sea in that area, and will he state even now that he will reconsider his decision and see that some protection wall is built?

Does the Deputy remember the work that the last Government did?

You were going to improve things.

The Parliamentary Secretary has had three years to do his job, and that is no answer at all to a question of national importance that I am directing to the Parliamentary Secretary in this House.

He is doing it reasonably well.

With emphasis on the reasonably.

There have been big changes since you were in it, anyway.