asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that the Government owes the sum of £40,000 to the Westmeath County Council, and if he can state when it is proposed to pay portion of this debt; further, if he will state what sum has been collected by the Westmeath County Council in payment of Motor tax, and when it is proposed to have the amount collected returned to the Westmeath County Council, to be expended on road maintenance, in view of the fact that a large number of workers have been rendered idle owing to the bad financial condition of the County.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. [ORAL ANSWERS.] - WESTMEATH COUNTY COUNCIL'S FINANCES.
The claim of Westmeath County Council in respect of grants formerly withheld by the British Government was settled in September last, subject to minor adjustments, and the Council was then paid a balance due amounting to £18,614 1s. 3d. This amount did not include Estate Duty Grant for 1921-22, and one-half of the Agricultural Grant for the same year, as these moneys were retained in the Guarantee Fund in connection with charges under the Land Acts. The British Government have not yet been in a position to release any of the latter amounts out of the Guarantee Fund. The figure of £40,000, mentioned in the question, appears to be entirely out of relation with the facts, and I do not know what it is supposed to represent.
The second half-yearly instalment of Agricultural Grant for 1922-23, which amounts in the case of County Westmeath to £8,776, is being paid this week, and it is hoped that the amounts due for the remaining smaller Local Taxation Grants for 1922-23 will shortly be distributed.
The amount of Motor Taxes collected in Westmeath County during the nine months ended 31st December, 1922, was £406 7s.; and for the first quarter of 1923 £2,208 10s. This money is not directly returnable to the County Council, but is payable to the Road Fund, from which grants may be paid to Road Authorities in certain circumstances by the Minister for Local Government.