(Dublin Central) asked the Minister for Local Government when the sewerage system along the Grand Canal will be completed; and the estimated final cost of the scheme.

The sewerage system along the Grand Canal and its associated works are being undertaken as a series of separate projects, a number of which have been completed, others of which are in construction, while others have yet to be designed. The total system is estimated to cost £23 million approximately, about £11.5 million of which is spent to date. No indication could be given at this stage as to when the total project should be completed.

Not even in the most general terms?

(Dublin Central): Could the Minister give an estimate? What was the original estimate for this undertaking?

I am afraid I would not have that information on the file.

(Dublin Central): Surely the Minister could give some indication of when this particular undertaking will be completed.

No, because progress will depend on a number of things, including the completion of planning of a number of individual works. There is no way in which I could give a firm date. I could give a year but there is no way in which I could guarantee the work would be completed in that particular time. It is a very complex job and it is going very well.

Without trying to tie the Minister down to a particular date, could he say three, five, seven or ten years?

You know, figures are so deceptive. I could say something which would be entirely wrong in a year's time.

The Minister must be aware that there are large tracts of lands under local authority ownership depending on the completion of this scheme so that the land will be available for housing purposes. Surely the Minister will put extra money in to have the scheme cleared as soon as possible.

I have put extra money into the scheme this year, and the Deputy must be aware of that. There is no hold up in building land because serviced land is not available.

(Dublin Central): Is it because they have not sufficient funds at the moment that they cannot expedite the scheme?

This year they have got £23.7 million from the State for local authority housing which means a total of approximately £30 million can be spent. I wish Fianna Fáil would make up their minds which side they are on. May I repeat that the Leader of the Opposition some months ago stated in relation to the number of houses being built that there were too many local authority houses being built.

Do not be trying to come that one.

That is what the Leader of the Opposition said.

The Minister made a mean insinuation.

That is what Deputy Lynch said.

It is not in accordance with the text of what I said.

Order. Let us not stray from the subject matter of the question.

Deputy Lynch said that and, if he feels too many local authority houses are being built, what are Deputy Fitzpatrick and Deputy Burke talking about?

The Minister's colleague tried to use that lie in the by-election in South Dublin.

It is not a lie. It is the truth. Deputy Lynch said too many local authority houses were being built.

We are straying from the subject matter of the question.

Sir, you gave me permission some time ago to correct the allegation of the Minister for Local Government. I was grateful to you at the time for having given me the opportunity to correct the allegation and to quote the statement in context. The Minister took my statement completely out of context and he is now repeating that irrelevancy again today.

I thought we disposed of that matter.

There was no untruth about it and Deputy Lynch is well aware of that. On a technicality, because I said "full stop" after "there were too many local authority houses" Deputy Lynch took that up and asked to have it withdrawn. Deputy Lynch said there were too many local authority houses being built——

The Minister did not have the grace to withdraw what he said.

——in relation to the number of houses being built in the country and let the Deputy get away from that, if he can, but he cannot.

I said that the natural desire of Irish people is towards home ownership and that should be encouraged, and more of it. The balance should be more in favour of home ownership than local authority houses creating massive landlords of local authorities.

The Deputy also said this Government were wrong in building too many local authority houses in relation to the total number of houses being built. If that means something else now perhaps Deputy Lynch could explain it.

What it means is that, if the Minister repeats an untruth often enough, people begin to believe it.

The debate will show whether I am telling an untruth or not. It just did not come off and that is the reason why——

The Minister put his two feet into it.

It was the Deputy put his two feet into it.