asked the Minister for the Environment when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will be paid a solid fuel grant.

There is no record in my Department of the receipt of an application for a solid fuel grant from the person named.

Is this one of the 50 whose sworn word the Minister is not prepared to take?

If documentation in connection with posting and so forth can be produced, I will have it examined.

What evidence would the Minister accept?

The Minister has said there are fewer than 50 cases in dispute with the Department. Is this one of the 50?

It may or it may not be. If the Deputy puts down a question I will answer it.

Is this not a question?

There is no application in my Department relating to the person named on this. Deputy Donnellan should get the Christian name and the surname correct. Some of the Christian names and addresses are not right.

The Minister must be aware of the problems in his Department when so many questions of this nature have to appear on the Order Paper.

Would Deputy Donnellan please resume his seat?

We paid more grants in the first two weeks of January this year than were paid by the Coalition Government in the first six months of 1977.

If this applicant makes a sworn affidavit to the effect that he lodged an application, will the Minister accept it?

No.

The remaining Questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.

With regard to the Private Notice Question which I put down in regard to the Armstrong shooting, I suggest that in view of the failure of the Minister to implement the plan which he announced last September to combat violent crime and in particular to increase the strength of the Garda force this has left the Minister with some questions to answer in this House.

The Deputy is not in order in attempting to raise a question on my ruling in this fashion. The Deputy has already been told that the question does not qualify for Private Notice treatment but that he may submit it for answer on the ordinary three days' notice. We cannot discuss my ruling.

Do we need a further shooting before we get ministerial action?

The Deputy has been told that he can put down a question on the ordinary three days' notice. I am not going to discuss it with the Deputy.

What are the criteria?

My ruling cannot be discussed.

There are serious matters involved in this issue and the House should be given the opportunity——

The Deputy will have an opportunity of putting the question down on three days' notice.

But it will not be reached for three months.