asked the Minister for the Environment if he will sanction a loan to Galway County Council to provide solid fuel ranges in their local authority houses.

I understand that the houses to which the Deputy refers were originally provided with open fireplaces incorporating back boilers, immersion heaters and electric cooker points.

The provision of solid fuel ranges in houses already fitted with fireplaces is outside the scope of the scheme for improvements to local authority housing. In view of this, and of the necessity to conserve available capital resources for the provision of urgently needed new local authority dwellings, the financing of house purchase loans and the installation of fireplaces in houses which lack them, I would not be prepared to sanction a loan to Galway County Council.

Does the Minister realise that there are 200 such local authority houses without ranges in Galway County Council area? As the price of bottled gas and ESB charges have increased,——

And coal and oil.

——people are finding it difficult even to heat domestic water by means of back boilers. Would the Minister not consider sanctioning these loans, so that the people could have ranges for cooking and for heating domestic water?

A house which has an open fireplace incorporating a back boiler, an immersion heater and an electric cooker point is adequately provided for.

As mentioned by the Minister in reply to another supplementary question today, if the tenants of these houses were prepared to pay an extra rent, as the majority of them are, for the installation of a range, would he consider sanctioning a loan for this purpose?

That is a matter for the local authority. If they put forward a scheme in which there will be recoupment by way of additional rental, I will definitely examine the proposal.