asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether he is aware that the Westmeath County Council, at their meeting held on the 29th October, 1925, unanimously agreed to borrow £10,000 for the relief of unemployment in the county on conditions that his Department would give an equal amount, the total amount of £20,000 to be expended on the county roads for the relief of acute distress within the county; and, if so, will he state what action has been taken by him in the matter.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - WESTMEATH COUNTY COUNCIL'S LOAN.
SEAN O LAIDHIN
The minutes of the meeting in question did not arrive in my Department until yesterday. The proposal referred to has been brought to my notice and I am considering it. I may, however, say, for the information of the Deputy, that the Relief Grants Vote is controlled by the Minister for Finance, and I understand that it has been almost fully allocated.
Has the Minister replied to the resolution of the Westmeath Co. Council? Is it his intention to have this grant given in accordance with the wishes of the Council? There is a meeting of the Council to-morrow. Hundreds of men are unemployed in that county and their families are starving. Surely the Minister will not withhold his sanction to the scheme put up by the Council, but to which no reply has yet been given?
Considering that I only received the minutes yesterday, it is obvious that there was not time enough to go into the matter.
Then who is to blame? Surely there must be somebody to blame if the minutes of the Co. Council were only received yesterday? Will the Minister take steps to see that Secretaries of Co. Councils send on the minutes without much delay?
I believe the Deputy is a member of the Co. Council in question, and I think that this is a matter more for him than for me.
I am a member of the Council, but I want the Minister to see that the orders of the Council are carried out. He maintains he has supreme power over the Council. I want to relieve distress in this county. The Co. Council have given an opportunity in this scheme to the Government to relieve distress in the county, provided that the Government give an equal amount to what they borrow. Surely from the 29th October to the present was ample time for the Minister in which to make up his mind?