asked the Minister for the Environment the reason large business areas of Dundalk, County Louth, have been excluded from the urban renewal designation in Dundalk, whereas the whole of Castlebar, County Mayo, has been included.

The whole town of Castlebar has not been designated.

It must be the Minister's end of it.

He is getting his lines mixed up.

The designated area in Castlebar is roughly the same size as the areas designated in the other eight towns recently announced. It comprises just 15 acres of the 980 acres in the urban district. The purpose of the urban renewal incentives is to encourage development and redevelopment of inner urban areas. The areas designated were deliberately limited in size to avoid dissipating the benefits of designation over too wide an area.

I assume that the Minister knows the extent of the economic deprivation in Dundalk and I also assume that he knows where Dundalk and the Border area is but would he not agree that he is creating a privileged sector in Dundalk? Is he also aware that he has designated the wrong areas and is he furtheir aware that the Church Street and Bridge Street areas are crying out for help? Would the Minister have another look at this situation?

I would have thought that the Deputy at least would have recognised that his question was not only badly framed but also improperly framed. Fifteen acres in Castlebar have been designated and the area involved in Dundalk is also of about 15 acres.

How many people are living in Castlebar? Would the Minister not agree that the 15 acres designated in Castlebar amounts to a large proportion of its business area?

No, I would not. As I have said, it comprises 15 acres out of the total of 980 acres which is the smallest urban area, by acreage, in County Mayo but that is beside the point and I take it that what you are trying to suggest to me——

Even in his reply to me the Minister seems to be more concerned about Castlebar but what I am asking him is whether he is aware of the extent of the deprivation in the biggest town in Ireland? Would he not agree that the wrong areas in Dundalk were designated?

No, I would not. The area in Dundalk was designated following consultation with the interested parties and the local authority there. I am surprised that the Deputy would try to suggest that the designated area there is not going to be a success. I would have thought that he would have been very supportive of measure which was taken. Dundalk was chosen from a list of hundreds of towns in that it needed urban renewal and some fresh investment. Dundalk was nominated by me to be one of the chosen nine towns for that very reason.

I would like to acknowledge the Government's gesture in designating Dundalk. It should have been done before and the Minister had the opportunity to do it but having acknowledged that I believe a mistake was made and that the wrong areas of Dundalk were designated.

The Deputy is making a statement.

A Cheann Comhairle——

Is this on the same subject matter?