asked the Minister for the Environment if he will sanction the loan requested by Offaly County Council towards the erection of a branch library at (a) Clara, (b) Kilcormac, (c) Edenderry and (d) Tullamore, County Offaly.

Offaly County Council's proposals to provide branch libraries at Clara, Kilcormac, Edenderry and Tullamore have to be considered in the context of the amount of capital available for library projects and the comparatively large programme of such projects in progress at present. It is not possible at this stage to say when the proposals will be sanctioned.