asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware that delays in inspections, issue of certificates of approval and payment of housing grants are causing considerable inconvenience and hardship to persons engaged in the erection and reconstruction of houses in County Roscommon and if he will now take steps to have the matter expedited.

There has been some delay recently in disposing of applications in connection with housing grants in County Roscommon.

The matter has already been under review, and all necessary steps have been taken with a view to the clearance of arrears in the area. An appreciable improvement in the position has in fact been effected in the past month.

Could the Minister say when these steps were taken?

Over the past three months.

May I inform the Minister that the position was never really bad until the past three months?

The figures were fairly bad about three months ago, but they are not much out of line in what is common at the present.

They are worse now than three months ago.

No.

Does the Minister consider that one inspector is capable of looking after the housing grant applications for four counties?

Within the past two months I have relieved the inspector concerned of one of the counties, and that should make the matter easy in future, or, if not easy, should simplify it.

What about Deputy Kennedy's redundant civil servants whom he discovered in Westmeath last week?