asked the Minister for the Environment (1) the number of rehousing applications with local authorities from unmarried mothers and deserted and separated wives throughout the country; and (2) the percentage this figure represents of the total number of applications.

I do not have the information in the format requested by the Deputy. However, at 31 December 1984, the latest date for which statistics are available in my Department, local authorities had 3,140 approved housing applications from single parent families. This represented 12 per cent approximately of the total number of approved applicants at that date.

Is there a uniform approach in all the local authorities in their letting priority to people who fall into the categories mentioned in the question?

In considering the need for housing most authorities maintain a regularly revised approved housing list of persons in need of housing. In order to assess the overall position the Department annually request the authorities to supply information about their waiting lists. On 31 December 1984, the latest date for which returns are available, there were 3,140 approved housing applications for single parent families. This is the information we have received from the local authorities.

Is the Minister aware that many of these single parent families have been on local authority housing lists for up to five and six years and that no effective decision has been taken in relation to these applications which are simply held in abeyance? Has the Minister any policy on the matter and, if he has not, is he prepared to give a directive to the local authorities to consider these applicants in the same way as others?

The year 1983 was the first time that this type of information was requested of the local authorities. The number of lettings now being made to single parent families constitutes a sizeable proportion of the overall letting being made in 1984. About 1,255 or 13 per cent of overall lettings were made to this category.

Question No. 8.

Single parent families are the forgotten people. They do not qualify for a family type house or for an old person's dwelling. In practically every local authority they are, as Deputy Kirk said, probably three times as long on the housing list as other families. A serious situation is developing, so much so that in our local authority we have suggested the examination of the possibility of flatlets from which people can buy a house—

Will the Deputy bear with the Chair for one second? Question No. 7 asks for certain things and on the information given no doubt the Deputy will get an opportunity elsewhere or perhaps here at some other time to make a very fine speech, but now is not the time to make a speech on the figures.

The Minister has not the figures and when we have information relating to the problem it is only right that we take the opportunity to submit that information to the Minister.

In relation to the Minister's reply about the percentage being allocated to single parent families, would he indicate what proportion of that accommodation went to single parent families in the Dublin area? Would it be true to say that most of these cases arise in Dublin?

A considerable amount occurs in the Dublin area. Of the 1,255 lettings made to this category, 532 were made by Dublin Corporation and a further 85 by Cork Corporation.