asked the Minister for the Environment if he is considering the setting up of an inner city renewal group in Cork similar to that existing in Dublin.

12.

asked the Minister for the Environment the moneys allocated to Dublin for urban renewal in 1981-1982.

(Dublin South-East): With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 12 together.

The Government are especially concerned about the question of urban regeneration in Dublin because of the extent and urgency of the problems there and because it is the capital city and is, therefore, applying certain special measures there as a matter of urgency and on a pilot basis.

As part of this approach legislation is being introduced to provide for the setting up on an Inner City Development Authority to replace the Dublin Inner City Group which has existed since 1979. There will be a budget provision of £2 million in 1982 for the group and for the new authority

The Urban Development Areas Bill, 1982, which I have introduced provides for the establishement of urban development commissions to secure the regeneration of designated urban areas. Two of these will be located in Dublin and the legislation also provides for the designation of other areas and the establishment of commissions where there is a special need for urban renewal. In the light of experience with the pilot projects in Dublin, consideration will be given to a similar approach elsewhere.

In the meantime the urban renewal situation in other areas, including Cork and especially in the main urban centres, will be considered and whatever further support may be possible and appropriate for inner urban development and renewal in those areas will be provided.

It must be stressed that the basic system remains, both in Dublin and elsewhere, by which urban renewal objectives which are defined in local development plans may be supported both by local authority investment and by the exercise of development controls. The local authority investment programmes relating to housing, in particular, and to roads, sanitary services and environmental schemes are particularly relevant in this regard. It is not possible to distinguish in detail between urban renewal and other objectives in the use of these various resources by local authorities but the overall allocations to Dublin Corporation for the years referred to for the services mentioned are given in the following table which, with your permission, I will circulate with the Official Report:

Further provision to a maximum of £15 million will be made for this programme if necessary.

Inner city areas would benefit, of course, from the local authority's ongoing programmes in such matters as housing maintenance, but details as to how individual areas benefit are not available. Finally, urban renewal in the Dublin area, and elsewhere, will benefit from the budget provision of £1.5 million for a revolving fund for the purchase and renovation of run-down residential properties, and from the new charges proposed on derelict sites and office developments, for which proposals are at present being considered.

Is the Minister aware that Cork Corporation have had three detailed local plans with his Department now for over 18 months? When does the Minister propose to make moneys available to carry out the proposals contained in those plans?

(Dublin South-East): I will be happy to give specific replies in regard to the three schemes to which the Deputy refers if he tables questions to that effect.

Is the Minister aware that on his trip to Cork in May he gave specific commitments that, having toured the areas, he would be looking into the facts he had collected, and would be taking early decisions on the plans as submitted to him?

(Dublin South-East): A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, this has become very——

Sorry, Deputy Allen, it seems to me here that the questions refer to Dublin.

No, Questions Nos. 11 and 12 together; Question No. 11 refers to Cork.

There is a city there too.

And a fine city it is.

I hope the Cork Deputy will not mind, but it is not written in the copy of the question I have.

(Dublin South-East): That was a mistake and I had to correct it in my copy.

The Minister is ignoring Cork completely.

(Dublin South-East): My goodness.

Could we allow the Minister to deal with Cork?

We are interested in the Minister's reply.

(Dublin South-East): I want to tell the House, for the Deputy's benefit, that we had quite a misunderstanding when I visited Cork. I am saying this again, probably for the sixth time.

The fourth time.

(Dublin South-East): I went to Cork, made no specific commitment to give money to Cork city and made no commitment to come back to Dublin and make commitments to Cork City. Very regrettably, in The Cork Examiner on a couple of occasions information was reported which greatly embarrassed the city manager, Mr. McHugh, who actually issued a statement to The Cork Examiner on 14 May totally disassociating himself with the comments that were made by a certain Deputy on that particular question. He also telephoned my office about it and was very embarrassed about what had happened on my trip to Cork. At this stage, so that no further misinterpretation is given to my visit to Cork, I want to clear it once and for all in the House that I went down to see on the ground, following a deputation from Cork to Dublin, the situation relating to urban renewal and the needs for Cork.

On a point of information, there was no need for the Minister to go to Cork. He had the plans in his office for 18 months.

(Dublin South-East): The Deputy is interrupting now.

I am sure Deputy Allen appreciates that the Minister is replying to questions tabled by him and at least we should give him the opportunity of replying.

(Dublin South-East): It does not matter if Deputy Allen feels that I should not have gone to Cork, but the rest of the deputation felt it would be very useful and worthwhile if I went to Cork. That is why I went to Cork, not because the Deputy felt it was not a worthwhile exercise.

Did the Minister of State find out anything?

(Dublin South-East): I did It was a very worthwhile trip. Cork is a beautiful city.

When will the Minister of State pay them anything?

(Dublin South-East): I will read out for Deputy Keating the funds that have been given to Cork. The House will be left in no doubt in the next question that the moneys that have been provided for Cork have been very generous, given the national finances. I make no apology for the fact that Dublin has been treated as a special case.

Deputy George Birmingham. I hope this will be the final supplementary.

I have a supplementary question too.

We will see about that.

Would the Minister of State, as the person responsible for originating the Urban Development Bill in the House and as the person who presumably will be responsible for the Inner City Authority Bill express his confidence that the areas served by his agencies will experience more effective urban renewal than the other authorities, otherwise there is no point in bringing them in? Why does the Minister of State not make similar agencies available to Cork when they have already got ambitious and adventurous proposals in relation to Shandon and other parts of that city?

(Dublin South-East): The Deputy apparently is not familiar with the facts in relation to Cork. I had a very thorough examination made of the Cork situation. I made that my first trip. I suggest, now that the Deputy is shadow spokesman for urban affairs, that he does similarly.

(Dublin South-East): The Deputy is completely wrong.