asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state why a housing scheme layout submitted to his Department on 9th January last for Dromin Upper, Listowel, for 40 houses has not been sanctioned, considering that the officials of the county council are satisfied that water and sewerage facilities are ample, the county council having arranged these with the Listowel Urban District Council in 1950; further, if he will now treat the matter as urgent as these houses are badly required in Listowel and their construction has been much delayed already.

The layout plan for the proposed 40-house scheme at Dromin Upper, Listowel, was generally approved on the 2nd instant. Approval of the plan was withheld until it was ascertained that proposals submitted for the improvement of the Listowel urban district water supply would enable the housing site to be satisfactorily serviced.

asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state why he has refused to sanction the Ballyduff, County Kerry, housing contract.

An ambiguity in the tender form in this case created doubt as to which of two tenderers offered the lower price, so that the acceptance of either tender might be open to question. Furthermore no prices were included in either tender for alternative forms of construction. The tender prices would also need to be adjusted for wage and price changes occurring since the tenders were received by the council in May, 1951, and the adjusted prices would represent a high cost of construction. The decision that the contract should be readvertised was therefore made in order to clarify and elaborate some of the items of cost involved and also in the hope of getting more favourable prices.