asked the Minister for the Environment if he noted the statement of the Minister for Labour, on 17 February 1984, on the conservation and reuse of buildings, and in view of this if he proposes to circulate local authorities, health boards, Government Departments and Government agencies with his views.

I agree with the general principle of conserving old buildings, where possible. My Department have, over a number of years, advised and encouraged local authorities to have regard to the possibility of the adaptation for new uses of such buildings in carrying out their statutory functions. The rehabilitation of old buildings, in appropriate circumstances, is already part of the policy expressed in the development plans of many local authorities. I will continue to encourage and where possible, assist local authorities in the development and implementation of that policy.

Will the Minister consider the position at the moment where local authorities are not allowed to acquire vacant houses which could with repair, help to maximise the housing stock in the various local authority areas?

There are no firm rules to say that a local authority cannot acquire old houses but obviously they must make application to the Department for permission to purchase older houses. We are not against it. In actual fact we have systems operating in Cork and Dublin where that is allowed.

Will the Minister tell us if money can be taken from the capital allocation for each local authority to purchase those houses and to renovate them?

If an application comes to the Department for the purchase of old houses it will be considered. The answer to the Deputy's question is yes.

Does the Minister's Department favour the situation, where new estates are opened up and new houses built, that the old estate house which was on the land is preserved and adapted for community use for the new estate being built up around it? Does the Minister's Department have any plans to encourage local authorities to do that rather than have these old houses knocked down?

As the Deputy is aware, the local authorities only submit their housing programmes. I would be very anxious that such a development would take place. It retains the character of the area when the old house is retained and can be used as a community development. It is something which should be encouraged. I would encourage it.

With regard to the statement of the Minister for Labour, would the Minister of State not agree that he made a very valid point in relation to the restructuring of those old houses? Over the last few years some of the best buildings in the country have been demolished to make room for grant-aided buildings by various Departments, for instance, in my own county by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs and the Department of Education. There should be some clause in planning, even for those Departments who are exempt from planning applications, to ensure that they are not allowed demolish very good structures to build some fairly short-term structures in replacement.

I fully agree with the Deputy that statutory bodies who have not to seek planning permission would come in and do something like that. I will certainly look at it. As the Deputy is probably aware, we encourage local authorities to maximise the use of older buildings or encourage within their own communities and local authority areas the protection of such buildings. We advise them on an ongoing basis. With regard to statutory authorities I will certainly look at that to see if that can be done.

I would appreciate it if the Minister of State would. Would he not agree when so much money is being provided by AnCO for job creation that, as the Minister stated on that particular day, renovation and preservation work could be an excellent training ground for crafts at this particular time?

That is a matter the Deputy should take up with the local authority. I am not being smart when I say that because they are the people who look after the local area and they could organise these training schemes.

Would the Minister of State agree that when they apply for planning permission to demolish or restore those houses or they are exempted, cognisance should be taken of this?

We cannot debate the matter. We have spent a long time on this question.

The local authority have a role to play in the planning aspect of this.

They will have to get a directive because if a Government Department are exempt from planning they will allow them to proceed.

A planning authority worth their salt, whether they have to apply for planning permission or not, have a responsibility to bring to the attention of that particular statutory body their obligations to the community at large.