asked the Minister for Lands if he has any proposals for introducing legislation before the end of the current Dáil session.

75.

asked the Minister for Lands when the necessary legislation to preserve wildlife will be introduced.

76.

asked the Minister for Lands when the Bill dealing with the conservation of wildlife will be introduced.

77.

asked the Minister for Lands when it is proposed to introduce the wildlife Bill.

(Cavan): With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 74, 75, 76 and 77 together.

Proposals for legislation to deal with the conservation of wildlife have been prepared and I will be submitting them to the Government at an early date.

I hope the Minister will not consider it remiss of me if I make the remark that the Government, in the circumstances, might have considered this matter a little earlier.

(Cavan): The proposal to introduce legislation to deal with this problem was undertaken first by way of preparation of a Bill in 1967 and since then three different Ministers for Lands, other than myself, have been dealing with it. As the Deputy knows, it is a rather comprehensive piece of legislation but it will be brought before the Government for a decision without delay.

Is the Bill ready?

(Cavan): No, the headings are ready.

For examination by the Government?

(Cavan): Yes. I had better be clear about this because there is a considerable amount of interest in it. When it is cleared by the Government it will have to go to the Parliamentary draftsmen.

Surely the situation when the Minister took over in March was that all the preparation work had been done and the Bill completed except for consultation on very minor matters?

(Cavan): I have no wish to introduce a personal element into this but, as the Deputy knows, I did not take over actively in March. I assure the Deputy that there will be no further delay.

I appreciate what the Minister says.