asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware that Laois county manager has informed the county council that he must now reduce all public lighting in the county by a third and that for every three lights one must be extinguished because the council have no money to pay the ESB; if he will provide funds to the county manager for this purpose in order to maintain present public lighting to safeguard against accidents and to provide safety and security for the public in present circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The operation and maintenance of public lighting in County Laois is the responsibility of Laois County Council and the costs involved must be met from the local authority's own resources. There are no funds at my disposal to allocate moneys to local authorities for the operation and maintenance of public lighting.