asked the Minister for the Environment if he will refuse a compulsory purchase order in respect of the road plans known as the Chapelizod by-pass of the Western Dual Carriageway.

: There are two compulsory purchase orders relating to these road plans before me for consideration, one made by Dublin Corporation, the other by Dublin County Council, and public local inquiries into the objections received to the orders have been held, the first in November, 1977, and the second in April, 1978. Before giving my decision on these matters I must consider fully the objections made to the orders, the evidence given at the public inquiries and the reports of the person who held the inquiries. I am not yet in a position to give my decision in this matter but shall do so as soon as possible.

: Could the Minister indicate when a decision is likely to be made on this roadway?

: The delay will not be on my part. I am awaiting the report of the latest inquiry which was held on 10 April. I have to await the inspector's report. The same inspector happened to be involved in the two and I must await his report.

: Is the Minister aware that grave doubts were expressed by those who objected about the manner in which the inquiry was conducted, and is the Minister therefore considering a review of the manner in which these inquiries are held?

: No, I have no evidence of that. I cannot anticipate what will come before me. It is on that I shall have to make a decision.

: Would the Minister not accept that many of the objections to the roadway as such would in all probability, and to my knowledge, have been made in the original hearing in 1977? If he was prepared to accept that, would he, on that basis give the House an undertaking that he would deal with the subsequent report as quickly as possible and since both are related request that a decision be made as quickly as possible on behalf of the local authorities on both sides of the divide because it is holding up the matter?

: I shall make a decision immediately the matter comes before me.

: May I ask——

: We cannot spend all day on a local question.

: This is going to be a major national highway. Has the Minister given consideration to the alternative put forward by Deputy Lemass and myself and has any decision yet been made on that alternative?

: I could not give it consideration because the report has not come before me. As the Deputy is aware, when he and Deputy Lemass discussed this with me the points he is referring to were made at the inquiry, as I understand it. I have not the report before me yet.

: But full consideration will be given by the Minister to the submissions made by Deputy Lemass and myself?

: Full consideration will be given to everything contained in the report.