asked the Minister for the Environment if he proposes to maintain the low rise mortgage scheme; and the number of applications made to participate in this scheme from all over the country.

No change in the low rise mortgage scheme is proposed at present. However, the operation of the scheme is kept under review in my Department.

The most recent statistics available show that by 30 November 1977 a total of 2,049 loan applications under the scheme had been received by housing authorities.

I did not hear fully the first part of the answer. Is it the Minister's intention to maintain this scheme and possibly to expand it?

It is the intention to continue with it at the moment.

Would the Minister consider when looking at the scheme the possibility of reducing the time that people presently have to be on the housing list to, say, six months? Before they qualify for a low-rise mortgage loan at the moment they have to be on the housing list for a year. There are certain anomalies here, and I ask the Minister if he is aware that some people who have not renewed their application for housing through possible negligence——

The Deputy is making a statement.

——do not realise that they have to renew it every year or so when the Corporation advertise, and therefore they do not qualify?

Question No. 6.

Could I ask the Minister if he will amend that to six months?

The people who are entitled to avail of such loans are (a) an existing tenant or tenant-purchaser of a local authority house who will surrender his dwelling to the local authority on receipt of a loan to purchase a private house; (b) families of three or more persons at least one year prior to seeking a loan. That is the present case. I will have a look at this.

Is the Minister also aware of the problem in relation to childless couples? The provision is that there must be a family of three.

Three or more, yes.

We are getting far away from the original question.

Will the Minister consider making some special allowance for childless couples who are already suffering a penalty in that they cannot have a child?

At the moment most of these can be improved on. I am prepared to have a look at this to see what improvements can be made.