In relation to a number of the Minister's replies to supplementary questions asked by Deputy McGahon, am I right in understanding in the first instance that local authorities submitted proposals for areas to be incorporated in the designation order? If that is so can the Minister confirm that the area originally nominated by Castlebar was the area of 15 acres which is contained in the designation order and whether the area nominated by the local authority in Dundalk is also the area confirmed in the designation order or did the Minister reduce or in any way alter the submission received from Dundalk?

The areas which were designated were selected following consultation with the officials of the local authorities involved. They were designated following consideration of the development plan of the planning authority for each of those areas. Finally, an inspection was carried out by some senior planners in the Department on site in the areas. I cannot be positive as far as Dundalk is concerned but certainly the area which Castlebar Urban District Council would like to have designated was substantially reduced by me in that I felt it incorporated too big a portion of the town. Finally, after consultation between the Department's planners and the urban council we settled on the most derelict side of the town and the least developed area — it is fair to say that which was suffering greatly from the recession. Deputy Kenny would be gracious to acknowledge that.

Can the Minister tell us whether the local chambers of commerce were consulted?

I do not know the exact names of all the organisations in every town who were consulted but I do know that the Minister of State met interested parties other than the local authority before the final selection was made.

Did they include interested party members——

I am going on to the next question now.

I understand that some of your party members were present on the deputations.

And what is better they got a good hearing.

Did you realise it was Drogheda and not Dundalk you were dealing with?

I realised that all right; I was fully aware of it.

That is an interesting question.