asked the Minister for the Environment if his Department are now in a position to assess the energy consumption and/or conservation implications of the development plans and draft revisions of development plans for local authorities throughout the country and if he will make a statement on the matter.

My Department are at present having discussions with the Department of Industry, Commerce and Energy with a view to issuing suitable advice to planning authorities on energy implications to be considered when preparing or varying their development plans. Under existing procedures the various bodies directly involved with energy matters have an opportunity to make their views known when development plans or reviews of them are in draft form.

Have the Minister's Department—the Department directly responsible for vetting these development plans—now got, as distinct from the position two years ago when I asked this question, any system or energy module which will measure the likely energy consumption of a proposed development in any town implemented over a five-or ten-year period?

In conjunction with the Department of Industry, Commerce and Energy it should be possible to get plans.

Perhaps I am not making myself clear.

It is the other Department who are responsible for energy.

I appreciate that there is a division between the two Departments. I asked the Minister in November 1977 and I am repeating the question now, have his Department any way of looking at a development plan, or is there any energy module that would enable the Department to look at a development plan for Navan or Dungloe and be able to say that if this development plan is implemented it would be expensive in terms of energy consumption simply to make it function?

Yes, because the development plans for each local authority area are submitted to my Department when they are completed and with the assistance of the Department of Industry, Commerce and Energy they could be assessed.

Would it be possible for me or any other Opposition Deputy to get a copy of the energy model the Minister is applying to those development plans?

I will see if a copy is available for a particular scheme

I will put my request in writing.

The Minister knows they are not there.

Has the Minister issued instructions to local authorities to change the criteria they use in drawing up development plans to take account of the greatly increased cost of energy and the prospective increased cost?

As far as I am aware they have received circular letters about this.

Why does the Minister not know definitely if they have received them?

If the Deputy puts down a question he will be given the exact information.