asked the Minister for Transport and Power when he will be in a position to set up a Shannon estuary authority.

The Harbours (No. 2) Bill, 1975, was introduced in Dáil Éireann on 30th July, 1975. The drafting of the Bill has taken longer than anticipated but I expect to be in a position to circulate a text next month. Assuming Oireachtas approval for the Bill, my intention would be to declare 1977 to be an election year for the new authority. The first annual meeting of the new authority would then take place, in accordance with the provisions of the Harbours Acts, on 13th October, 1977.