asked the Minister for the Environment if all guesthouses, registered or otherwise, will be derated.

Domestic rates relief will not extend to guesthouses registered under the Tourist Traffic Act, 1939, save in so far as any portion of a guesthouse may be used wholly for dwelling purposes. Local authorities have however been instructed that private dwellings which otherwise would qualify for full domestic derating should not cease to be regarded as so qualifying solely by reason of their being used also to provide tourist accommodation.

This instruction applies whether or not the houses in question are included in the non-statutory lists compiled by Bord Fáilte of town houses, country houses or farmhouses.

I intend that provision similar to the foregoing will be made in the forthcoming legislation.

Would the Minister amplify the situation in relation to farm guesthouses and student hostels and in relation to a landlady keeping a few lodgers? Will such a landlady be exempt?

Derated, yes.

Is the Minister categorically confirming that?

I mentioned farm guesthouses in my reply. The only guesthouses which will not be derated are those registered under the Tourist Traffic Act, 1939.

The private dwelling house keeping a few people for tourist purposes would not be subject to rates, but what about the private dweling-house in which some lodgers are kept on a regular basis?

They are derated.

(Cavan-Monaghan): As the same principle seems to be involved, is the Minister in a position to say what the situation will be regarding derating in respect of a doctor's residence where there is a surgery, an insurance agent's house where there is an office, a rate collector's house where there is an office and an auctioneer's house where there is an office?

This is a separate question. Question No. 20.

I wish to ask one final non-contentious question. When the Minister says that the only guesthouses on which rates will be paid are those registered with Bord Fáilte——

Not Bord Fáilte. I referred to the Tourist Traffic Act, 1939.

20.

asked the Minister for the Environment if all schools and educational establishments in the State, residential and otherwise, will be derated.

The Government in their election manifesto undertook to abolish rates on all secondary schools; this includes secondary boarding schools. Effect is now being given to this undertaking by local authorities.

As regards other educational institutions, there is no proposal to alter the existing position. In fact, many of them already enjoy exemption from rating on grounds of being of a public nature or used for charitable purposes.

Would this apply to student hostels and buildings of such a nature? There are residential halls for students attached to some houses.

They are exempt.

Does this exemption include educational research institutes and centres of research in respect of education?

It includes secondary boarding schools.

The question refers to a specific matter. We cannot go on asking endless supplementaries.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Could the Minister say if the residential or boarding portion of secondary schools will still be rated?

No. We undertook to abolish rates on all secondary schools and this includes secondary boarding schools. The residential portion is also exempt.

(Cavan-Monaghan): I want to be quite clear on this. In the case of a secondary school, there is the school part and the dormitory or residential part. Will the dormitory section be——

Exempt from rates, yes.

In the case of secondary schools which, in addition to the premises and land normally used for the purposes of the school, may own substantial holdings of land could the Minister say if the derating extends to such land not directly used for school purposes?

That will be spelled out in the legislation which I am bringing in. There will be a limitation on what will be exempt surrounding the college.

21.

asked the Minister for the Environment the proposals he has for the derating of community halls; and how he proposes to define a community hall for this purpose.

The Government's commitment to abolish rates on bona fide community halls remains firm. Details of my proposals for defining community halls will be made known when the Local Government (Financial Provisions) Bill, 1977 is published.

Does the Minister accept that there is concern among parish hall committees as to whether the running of dances or the odd bingo session will exclude them from this provision? Could he give any indication as to what will qualify as a community hall?

It will be spelled out in the legislation as I have said. Local authorities will already have received some details about the proposals in order that they may be able to strike rates.

Could the House be given the information that has apparently been furnished to local authorities?

I am giving the information that the commitment to abolish rates on bona fide community halls remains firm. Details of the proposals will be spelled out in the Bill.

Could I press the Minister on this point? It appears from his reply that certain information has been given to local authorities that has not been given to the House. I am asking him to give this information here.

I did not mean to imply that anything was being withheld from the House. Final definitions must await the Bill. Bona fide community halls, once they are community halls——

Is the Minister refusing to answer? Are we to get the information or not?

Next Question.

On a point of order, has the Minister finished answering a legitimate supplementary question?

The Chair decides when sufficient supplementaries have been asked. We have had six, which is not bad.

It is a simple question; what is the bona fide community hall?

Question No. 22.