(Cavan-Monaghan): asked the Minister for Health if he will give particulars of each project under the aegis of his Department which he sanctioned; and if he will state in respect of each such project; (a) the date of sanction; (b) the total amount of money involved; (c) the amount provided or allocated for work done this year; and (d) the date on which he expects work to commence.

I assume the Deputy is inquiring about capital projects and that his interest is in developments which I have announced in recent weeks. The reply to the Deputy's question it in the form of a tabular statement which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to have circulated with the Official Report. In regard to (c) of the Deputy's question I wish to say that £5,150,000 is allocated for these schemes in 1981. Many factors make it difficult to estimate with any degree of accuracy what money will be spent on each project but overall expenditure will be of the order of £5,150,000.

In regard to (d) it would not be accurate to speak about the date of commencement as in all the schemes under consideration some work of planning has been carried out. The money I have allocated will provide in each case for continuation on the road to completion.

In addition to the schemes outlined in the tabular statement I have allocated a total of £1,850,000 in the current year to health boards, voluntary hospitals and other health agencies for minor capital projects, that is for capital schemes which individually will not cost more than £50,000 and which will be totally expended in this year. I would also inform the Deputy that the projects I have referred to are additional to those which are on-going and for which a capital allocation of £40,000,000 is available this year.

Following in the statement:

* Including fees furnishing and equipping.

Cavan-Monaghan): The Minister has given himself the benefit of both worlds, using a tabular statement and then answering the question, thus preventing supplementaries. I gather the Minister said that there is £5,150,000 provided this year. Am I correct in thinking that this includes projects in Galway, Castlebar, Sligo, Cavan, Waterford, Cork and a number of other counties?

And Kerry.

These are part of the £47 million.

(Cavan-Monaghan): The projects in which I am interested are those the Minister announced on his grand tour some time ago, projects that were not included in the £40 million in the capital programme. As I understand it, he announced them in Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Cavan, Louth, Waterford, Tipperary, Kerry and probably in a number of other counties. There was £5.1 million included and there was a special function in each place to announce them.

I must explain to the Deputy once again how the capital programme works.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Very slowly.

I can appreciate the Deputy's difficulty in following the situation since in 1976, the last year for which the Coalition were responsible, £11.2 million was spent on all capital projects. This year we are spending £47 million, which enables us to develop and expand the programme which will lead directly to completion. Any of the projects which we have undertaken are phased in our capital expenditure, assuming the expenditure stays at or about the level which we have set, so the Deputy need have no fear about that aspect. I know the Deputy is concerned about some of them in particular. It is our commitment to pursue these directly to building and completion and we have provided in our ongoing capital programme to do that.

(Cavan-Monaghan): I am concerned about the whole performance as well as the one in Cavan. Am I right in thinking that most of the work the Minister has outlined in these ten or 12 counties as far as this year is concerned is invisible work and that the work which the Minister brought to a standstill in Cavan 12 months ago ensures that there will be no visible signs of progress there before well into next year?

In that case the phase is a planning phase and it is a question of providing the money so that this can go on to building. The money is provided and it will go on to building.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Will the Minister agree that his tour that I have mentioned through the four provinces was nothing more than an operation in putting up election posters?

That is not a question, Deputy.

I refute that entirely. It followed directly on the allocation of the capital resources. They were discussed with each health board——

Question No. 14.

I have been criticised from that side of the House repeatedly for visiting hospitals throughout the country. In most of those instances I found it had been a long time since they had been visited.

Question No. 14.

I am afraid that if the Opposition were in possession it would be a long time before——