asked the Minister for Energy if the policy of continuing bog development under Bord na Móna's third development programme has been halted; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The third such programme is coming to an end, but it has not been halted. Bord na Móna will continue to acquire and develop additional bogs wherever this is seen to be beneficial to its overall development strategy.

Will the Minister indicate the reasons why Bord na Móna are acquiring bogs but not proceeding with the development of them, particularly in areas where they have been developing bogs for many years?

The Deputy strikes me as a person who has a reasonable commercial sense and I assume that it is good business planning to acquire turf reserves before they are needed. I am confident they are needed. I believe they will be developed in due course. I am confident that Bord na Móna have a long term development plan and, as part of their strategic planning, they would want to ensure that they have reserves of peat to be exploited down through the years to ensure an orderly development of our natural resources.

Surely the Minister cannot justify the action of the board bearing in mind that we are so short of solid fuels and that the board propose to lay off workers?

Correction, the board are not proposing to lay off workers.