asked the Minister for the Environment the number of reconstruction grants paid out in the years 1977 and 1978 in each local authority area, the length of time an application takes to be processed, and the grant paid to the applicant.

As the reply to the first part of the question is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report. Regarding the second part of the question, statistics are not kept of the length of time that each application takes to be processed and grants paid.

Following is the statement:

Number of improvement grants paid by the Department in the years 1977 and 1978 —by area

Note: Separate figures are not available in respect of Borough Corporations, U.D.C.s and Town Commissioners' areas. Grants paid in these areas are included in the respective counties.

Would the Minister accept, what every Deputy accepts, that there is, according to the representations we receive, apparently an inordinate delay now between the approval of such grants and the actual cash payment. Is the Minister aware of the dissatisfaction about this delay?

I am aware that delay is taking place and I am trying to eliminate it. In order to do this I have already recruited extra staff. I have the staff in that particular section, in O'Connell Bridge House, working overtime every evening in order to clear the backlog. The main reason for this backlog and the extraordinary amount of work that has accrued in this section is that in 1977, for instance, the number of applications for reconstruction grants was less than 10,000. This year, 1978, it reached 37,500. It must be clearly understood that with this sudden swell we needed more staff and that matter has been and is being dealt with. Efforts are still going on to ensure that these delays will not continue indefinitely.

In view of the fact that grant applications have exceeded all the forecasts from the Government's own sources could the Minister assure the House that money is available to pay these grants and that the delay is not some kind of tactic to cover up the fact that the money may not be there?

The Deputy may be absolutely certain that there is adequate money available.