asked the Minister for Local Government if his Department have received a proposal in connection with a group water supply scheme for Ballybeggan, Tralee, County Kerry; and, if so, if he will state the present position regarding this proposal.

A proposal for this area has been received and the adequacy of the proposed source of water supply is being investigated.

32.

asked the Minister for Local Government the present position regarding the implementation of the Coolnageragh, Scartaglen, group water supply scheme, County Kerry.

This scheme has been approved by me and it is now a matter for the group to arrange for the commencement of work.

33.

asked the Minister for Local Government the present position regarding the provision of the long-awaited mid-Kerry water scheme.

A decision on the mid-Kerry water scheme must await the outcome of the general review of regional schemes which is being carried out by sanitary authorities throughout the country.

34.

asked the Minister for Local Government the reason for the delay in implementing the water and sewerage schemes for the houses at High Street, Caherciveen, County Kerry.

There are no proposals before my Department for a water and sewerage scheme for the houses at High Street, Caherciveen. I am informed by Kerry County Council that they are at present preparing preliminary proposals for a scheme for this area.

35.

asked the Minister for Local Government the present position regarding the corroded pipeline which is affecting the Maharees water supply, County Kerry; and what steps are being taken to deal with this matter.

There are no proposals before my Department in relation to the cleaning of the corroded pipe line which is serving the Maharees area.

36.

asked the Minister for Local Government when work will commence on the Coachford regional water scheme, County Cork.

A decision on the Coachford scheme must await the outcome of the review of water and sewerage schemes which is being carried out by sanitary authorities generally throughout the country.

Does the Minister mean to convey that a decision on a scheme in County Cork must await submissions from the country generally?

That is right. It is only when all this information is available that it can be decided what schemes can go ahead.

Does this mean that although County Cork will have submitted their proposals, they must await the submission of proposals from every other county?

Yes.

That is ridiculous.

Is that another way of saying that none of these schemes will be proceeded with?

It means that schemes will not be proceeded with until we can get an overall picture of the order of priorities that has been decided upon by the sanitary authorities generally.

Is it the position that the Minister has no money to proceed with such schemes, that he is bluffing?

No, it is not. I gave the Deputy information on the schemes that were authorised to proceed last year, and I gave him information again about the schemes authorised this year. It took some considerable time to give it.

Does it mean that when a small scheme in any part of Ireland is submitted to the Minister's Department, the Minister awaits information from the entire country before he sanctions such a scheme?

No, it does not. There are more schemes submitted to the Department that it would be possible to finance in quite a considerable number of years. In order to decide in what order these shall be carried out, sanitary authorities have been asked to review them and to indicate what schemes or parts of schemes, in their opinion, are of the greatest urgency. I think that was a wise precaution to take so as to ensure that the amount of money which is available for this purpose, and which is increasing every year, will be spent to the best advantage.

Does this mean there will be a priority list for the entire country or a priority list in respect of each local authority?

Question No. 37.

I am still on the same supplementary.

Would the Deputy please resume his seat?

37.

asked the Minister for Local Government how much money has been paid to local authorities since 1932 for (a) loans and (b) grants for sewerage and water schemes.

Information as to the total amounts involved in the form required by the Deputy is not available in my Department.

38.

asked the Minister for Local Government the present position regarding the extension of the sewerage scheme to the west end of Rathmore, County Kerry to serve seven families.

There are no proposals before my Department for a sewerage scheme for the west end of Rathmore.

39.

asked the Minister for Local Government when his Department will sanction the extension of the Castletownbere sewerage scheme to Derrymihan West, County Cork which was referred for approval to his Department in February 1967.

A decision on this extension must await the outcome of the review of water and sewerage schemes which is being carried out by sanitary authorities generally throughout the country.

Am I to assume that, while a relatively small scheme is with the Minister's Department for 15 months, this proposed extension which is urgently required must await the outcome of all the proposals that are submitted to his Department by the different local authorities? Is it not time that the Minister stopped bluffing and got down to his job?

The Deputy may not make a speech on this question.

It is not a speech: it is a question.

There will be an embarrassing amount of work done again on this this year.

Embarrassing to whom?

To the Opposition.

Will the Minister not consider this application for the provision of urgent facilities for the eastern end of Castletownbere town, and, if so, will he respond to this request from Cork County Council (West)?

When the local authorities submit their list of priorities.

Did the local authority not submit them last September?

Cork County Council have not; only one for regional water schemes.

Does this practice involve a national priority list as against a local authority priority list?

No. Each local authority will be taken into consideration separately.

For the future, relatively small schemes must await a decision from the Minister's Department; is the Minister not aware that this scheme was submitted by Cork County Council in February, 1967, even before the Minister's announcement on priorities? Surely a decision on this scheme should be made without delay so that the county council can carry out their work?

I have no way of knowing whether or not the order in which work is submitted is the order of priority.

Would the Minister agree to consider this?

As soon as we get the order of priority from the local authority.

When the Minister gets his priority list in respect of each local authority, why does he have to wait for information to come forward from County Cork to deal with a matter in Donegal or vice versa? What relationship is there?

There is an overall amount of money available and it is desirable to allocate it as equitably as possible between the different areas.

It depends on where the by-election is.

Why should the priority list in one local authority have any bearing on a decision within another local authority? If the Minister makes up his mind how much money is going to Donegal——

Deputy L'Estrange insinuates that County Limerick may have their list in.

Can the Minister explain to the House the reasoning——

Will the Deputy please resume his seat and allow questions to proceed?

Does Deputy L'Estrange want to know about the schemes in Limerick?

No; all I know is that they were cut. We will get them next Tuesday.

No, before that, at the chapel gates.

You had better keep away from the chapel gates.