asked the Minister for the Environment (i) the proposed number of local authority houses to be built in County Mayo during 1980, (ii) the amount of finance allocated for this purpose and (iii) if he has received a request from Mayo County Council for further finance necessary for housing.

Information on the number of dwellings to be built by Mayo County Council in 1980 is not available in my Department. On 14 March 1980, the council were allocated £2,100,000 to finance on-going commitments on their local authority housing programme in the current year.

The council have submitted a further application for funds to finance new work in various parts of the county due to commence before 31 July 1980. This application is being considered in conjunction with similar claims received from other local authorities. I cannot say yet when I will be in a position to make a decision on the council's application.

Is the Minister aware that there are quite a substantial number of rural houses in respect of which tenders have been accepted which cannot get under way due to lack of finance from the Minister's Department?

Yes, I am aware that they are ready to make new starts in County Mayo. Of course there are always two allocations where housing is concerned. Their needs will be considered at the end of the half year like all other local authorities.

Would the Minister agree that in many cases tenders have been accepted for up to six months in respect of housing which cannot get under way because there is insufficient finance?

The reason for this is that on "work in progress" the amount needed to continue in all counties this year was so great it absorbed most of the first allocation. There was an enormous number of new starts towards the end of last year which comes under the heading of "work in progress".

That is a joke.

That is a fact; it is not a joke.

Is the Minister foolish enough to believe——

It is not a joke; it is a fact.

Does the Minister's brief contain the information which would indicate the proposed number of local authority house starts envisaged for 1980 in County Mayo?

According to the latest report Mayo County Council have submitted a claim and the application relates to 44 houses in schemes, 80 rural cottages and 30 dismountables.

If I heard the Minister correctly, that is approximately 44 houses and 80 odd cottages. Can the Minister say, if building progress is maintained on all of those starts, whether sufficient funds will be made available in the second half year's allocation to ensure that there will be no delays?

As I said in the reply, the application is being considered in conjunction with all other applications from other counties. At present I cannot say what will be available. I have to consider all local authorities.

When the Minister has considered the national demand on his limited funds does he envisage that some of the work started already in County Mayo will have to be stalled until the next financial year because of lack of funds?

Work in progress will proceed. I am talking about existing work in progress which came under the first allocation.

(Cavan-Monaghan): I understood the Minister to say that he was considering an allocation for new house starts for County Mayo in conjunction with the rest of the country——

That is correct.

(Cavan-Monaghan):——and that he does not know when he will be in a position to announce this. Does the Minister not think that that is a very serious matter and that the delay in the allocation of finance for new house starts is holding up work all over the country, in practically every housing authority and that, of course, if finance is not made available soon it will mean that no building can be done this year?

After the end of the half year I will certainly try to deal with the matter as quickly as possible when we know what is involved.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Is the Minister engaging in stalling operations so that he will not have to pay out any moneys?

No, housing allocations have always been made in this manner twice a year.

(Cavan-Monaghan): In the third quarter of the year?

What hope have the homeless people of County Mayo in view of the fact that the county manager of Donegal County Council—if the Minister is saying that he is considering re-examining the whole position in conjunction with the claims of other local authorities—told us yesterday that they are £1 million short in order to continue present works and no money to start new houses for which the council have accepted tenders?

The Deputy is widening the scope of the question in a way in which we could be dealing with every county separately very soon.

I am asking what hope there is for the homeless people in County Mayo——

The Chair is asking what hope there is for the House if the scope of the question is to be widened to take in every county separately.

I am not picking any county. I am asking the Minister if there is any hope——

If this question is allowed then I cannot stop other Deputies doing the same thing.

In reply to the Deputy, there is hope for Mayo.

(Cavan-Monaghan): There is not much hope for housing.