asked the Minister for Finance if he will give details of the part of the total allocation of funds by the EEC which will be spent by the Office of Public Works; the schemes on which it will be spent; and the amount of EEC funds it is anticipated will be spent this year.

EEC funds to the extent of £5.5 million, that is, half of the total cost estimated at £11 million, were allocated for arterial drainage works in the west of Ireland to be carried out by the Office of Public Works. The programme approved by the EEC provides for arterial drainage schemes in the following catchment areas: Corrib-Mask-Robe, Counties Mayo and Galway; Boyle, Counties Roscommon, Sligo, Mayo; Bonet, Counties Leitrim and Sligo.

Works under the Corrib-Mask-Robe will probably start early in 1979 and on the other two schemes at a later date. There will be no expenditure in the current year.

The Minister supplied me with information I did not want but he did not get down to the core of the question as far as I am concerned. Will the Minister state if his Department or the Office of Public Works are continuing with their own programmes financed by State money in addition to the EEC money, or are the Department using EEC money on its own to carry out programmes on which the Department should be engaged?

I understand the Deputy has a similar question later on on the Order Paper. I suggest that it might be more appropriate to wait for that question. I might add that 50 per cent of the cost is met by EEC funds.

12.