asked the Minister for the Environment when he will be in a position to announce details of financial assistance to local authorities whose roadwork systems suffered severe damage in the October-November floods 1988; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The 1989 road grants are being notified to local authorities today. These grants include £1.5 million allocated to nine local authorities to fund remedial works to roads arising from storm-flood damage. Details of the latter grants are as follows:

Are these additional allocations specifically related to the flood damage which occurred?

Specifically.

Will these sums be taken off the over allocation made available or are they extra, over and above the actual amount in the Estimate for 1989?

I have isolated £1.5 million to these nine local authorities from the total money available to me specifically for flood damage.

Arising from the Minister's reply will he confirm that no additional moneys are allocated in that sum over and above the original allocations for roads announced at the time of the budget? Secondly, will the Minister indicate in respect of each local authority area he has referred to, the sum each local authority requested in the submissions made to his Department to remedy the flood damage?

Submissions were made and as I promised on a previous occasion at Question Time inspectors carried out surveys in respect of the damage and they isolated what they regarded as reasonable in the circumstances.

How much, for example, was sought by Cork County Council and Cork Corporation, as compared to what the Minister gave them?

Cork Corporation sought £350,000 and Cork County Council sought £1,867,750.

They have got less than half the amount they sought. What did Waterford County Council seek?

Please Deputy Shatter, we are tending to debate——

We are attempting to tease out——

This is Question Time and——

——whether the Minister has genuinely provided additional money or whether he has camouflaged the money given.

The Deputy thinks that he is in the Four Courts.

——if there is to be any extensive elaboration there is another way of dealing with it.

Perhaps the Minister would say how much Waterford sought?

Waterford County Council sought £442,800. The inspectors did an estimate there and figured that £350,000 would have been the sum necessary.

And Waterford Corporation?

No, they are not involved.

Deputy Sherlock is offering.