asked the Minister for the Environment if he intends to introduce legislation regarding the charges to householders for repairs of broken external watermain pipes in the Dublin County Council area, so as to enable the council absorb these charges, as is presently the situation in Dún Laoghaire Borough and in the Dublin Corporation area.

I am having the legislation governing this matter examined with a view to including proposals for any necessary changes in appropriate amending legislation as soon as possible. In the meantime the city and county manager has been informed that I will raise no objection to the council incurring reasonable expenditure on remedial works of this nature in appropriate cases.