asked the Minister for the Environment when the next allocation of finance will be made available to Donegal County Council for the erection of SI houses and demountable dwellings which are needed urgently; and the amount of finance involved.

Donegal County Council have submitted an application to my Department for a capital allocation to finance on-going commitments on their 1981 housing programme, including the provision of SI cottages and demountable dwellings. The council's application is being examined in my Department at present in conjunction with similar claims submitted by the various other local authorities. Notification of the capital allocations for 1981 will issue to individual local authorities shortly.

What is meant by "shortly"? Will it be within the next month?

It will be by the end of March?

When was the last allocation made and how much was it?

A capital allocation was made to Donegal but I cannot give the Deputy the precise date.

I would say November would be the date.

A final supplementary from Deputy Boland.

I have not the exact date.

Will the Minister let me know the date and the month?

I certainly will.

Around the by-election.

I do not have the exact date and I did not want to say a date that might be wrong. But they were very well looked after, I can assure the Deputy.

There has been nothing done since.

They were all happy up there anyway.

Would the Minister and the Deputy please desist from having a debate across the House? A supplementary from Deputy Boland.

Is the Minister satisfied with the price and range of dwellings provided in Donegal and the average life expectancy of those dwellings in comparison with traditionally built houses?

There have been no complaints from the local authority. I have received no complaints.

Is it on complaints that the Department act? Not ideas?

I have not received any complaints and as far as I know the dwellings have all been very satisfactory.

asked the Minister for the Environment if he will make finance available to (i) Bray (ii) Arklow, and (iii) Wicklow Urban District Councils, County Wicklow, for local authority housing.

Applications by Bray, Arklow and Wicklow UDCs for capital allocation to finance their housing programmes are being considered in conjunction with similar claims submitted by other local authorities. Notification of the 1981 capital allocations will be issued to the various local authorities shortly.

Would the Minister say if the amount to be allocated will be decided before or after the Taoiseach decides to have a general election.

I do not know the Taoiseach's mind on the general election.

If the Minister did he would be able to say whether the money that would be given would be large or small?