asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state why he has failed to sanction a loan of £108,000 sought by the Kerry County Council for cottage repairs as the county is already contributing £25,000 from revenue per annum, and the council wish to finish the repairs and get all cottages vested.

An inquiry about the possibility of obtaining sanction to such a loan was received last October but sufficient information to enable the application to be fully considered was not furnished until the 26th April last. The county council has now been informed that on receipt of a formal resolution, and official application for sanction, approval will issue to the raising of a loan of up to £50,000 repayable over a period not exceeding ten years. This is the amount calculated to be necessary to finance the repair programme over a period of about two years.