72 Mr. Hughes asked the Minister for the Environment if he will extend the Westport Urban District Council boundary to include the area known as Roman Island, which was advertised in the local newspaper on 17 October 1990 under the Local Government Act, 1941 and comprises approximately 20 acres of land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7239/97]

In 1990, procedures were initiated at local level, under the Local Authorities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1936, to extend the boundary of Westport Urban District Council. However, no formal application for a boundary extension was made.

The procedure to be followed for making boundary alterations has changed since then. The legal framework for local authority boundary alterations is now contained in Part V of the Local Government Act, 1991 and associated regulations. Under this legislative framework, it is open to any local authority to make a proposal for a boundary extension. The legislation enables all the issues in relation to a boundary alteration to be thoroughly considered in the first instance by the local authorities involved and it includes provision for public advertisement and consultation. Once this local process is complete, an application for a boundary alteration can be made to the Minister for the Environment.