asked the Minister for the Environment if he will now indicate to local authorities the arrangements for the financing of works services in the forthcoming year, bearing in mind that such an indication will be necessary in January, 1978.

Most of the major works programmes of local authorities are financed as part of the public capital programme and arrangements for this financing, including the timing of relevant budgetary decisions, will be broadly in line with arrangements for previous years and will not be affected by changes in the timing of local revenue estimates.

The Deputy may have in mind, however, the position of the revenue-financed programme in the light of the deferment of the estimates process of rating authorities requested by my Department's circular of 17th August, 1977. In this connection, I have just had a further circular issued to rating authorities advising them that they can appropriately begin, from the point of view of planning their programmes, to consider the priorities which will apply to such programmes for 1978.

Would the Minister agree that in the case of the smaller local authorities with the abolition of rates in the coming year it is imperative for the continuing life of those smaller authorities that the Minister indicates as soon as possible the arrangements for financing?

Yes, I will indicate the arrangements as soon as possible.

How soon is soon?

Very soon.

The Minister mentioned another circular and I am curious to know when that was issued.

I have just had a further circular issued—today as a matter of fact.

There was a meeting of Dublin City Council last night at which there was some concern. I ask the Minister to accept that there is concern over the time scale in drawing up these estimates.

There will be no undue delay and I approved a particular circular today.

When the Minister says "broadly in line with arrangements for previous years" does he mean there will be the same percentage increase over last year or is he talking about the same amount as last year? It is not a question of introducing a scheme—there are enough of these— but it is a question of knowing exactly the amount of money available and, unless the Minister can give that, it is just not possible for local authorities to plan their schemes. Would the Minister say what exactly he means?

There will definitely have to be increased amounts—that is accepted—made available and at the moment I am involved in discussions with the Minister for Finance on this matter and the amounts will be notified as soon as possible to local authorities to enable them to have their estimates meetings and strike the rate and take up the remainder of the rate which still has to be collected.

This has to be done before 1st January.

I have asked local authorities to postpone their estimates meetings until such time as they know what will be available to them.

(Cavan-Monaghan): If there is any further postponement of the estimates meetings the end result will be the laying off of men early in the new year.

That is the point.

In that event I shall certainly make moneys available early in the new year in order to avoid anything like that.

The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.