asked the Minister for the Environment the funds from the Youth Employment Agency that will be available to the environmental improvement schemes which are administered by local authorities.

At this stage a sum of £4 million has been made available to my Department from the funds for the youth employment programme. This sum was allocated to the local authorities on 26 April for the operation of an Environment Works (Youth Employment) Scheme.

This scheme was to have a 60 per cent labour content. Would the Minister agree that when we are spending £150 million a year on social welfare, schemes such as these should be extended and moreover that the £4 million allocated for the youth employment programme for this year is totally inadequate and that some of those funds should be made available to get young people working immediately? Every county engineer will tell you he can spend the money and employ the people. Will the Minister look for more funds and will he agree that it is a way of getting people off the dole queues and onto productive work?

I am looking for more money and I am the best man to look for it.