MINISTERIAL MOTIONS. - ALTERATION OF TERMS OF VOTE OF £100,000 TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT MADE AT LAST SESSION.
The MINISTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT moved:—
"IT IS HEREBY DECREED that:—
The following alterations be made in the conditions of the proposed Loan to Local Authorities:
1. That the terms of the £100,000 Loan be altered to admit of financial accommodation being made available through County Councils or County Borough Councils for Unions, Asylums, Hospitals, to pay Outdoor Relief where same has been suspended or there are no funds to meet the cost.
2. To pay arrears of salaries and wages.
3. To pay Contractors for supplies of food and medicines; and
4. To allow, subject to the sanction of the President and Minister of Finance, exceptions being made in necessitous cases where 75 per cent. of the rates have not been collected."
The DIRECTOR OF FISHERIES seconded.
J. HAYES (Cork, West) asked what period this amount was supposed to cover; and the MINISTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT replied that it was wanted pending the collection of the rates and possibly for a longer period; whereupon Mr. HAYES said a larger sum would probably be required.
J. MACENTEE (Monaghan, South) said he was opposed to the principle of making grants of this sort. Poor Law relief could be provided for on a voluntary basis.
The ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT said this would mean releaving their opponents of responsibility for relief.
The MINISTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT said he recognised that the sum of £100,000 was small, but it was something. No Councils would participate in this grant unless they had given allegiance to the Dáil.
The motion was put and adopted.