I move—"That the Bill be received for final consideration."
ROAD FUND (ADVANCES) BILL, 1926—FINAL STAGES.
Question put and agreed to.
I move—"That the provisions of Standing Order 88 as to the giving of notice for the taking of the Fifth Stage of a Bill be suspended to permit of the Fifth Stage of the Road Fund (Advances) Bill, 1926, being taken to-day."
Question put and agreed to.
I move—"That the Bill do now pass."
I want to ask the Minister if he is in a position to give the House any idea when the money will be disbursed to the different councils to proceed with the work on the roads? Is it the intention of the Local Government Department and the Finance Department to set the work in motion, as far as possible on these trunk roads, this summer? I ask that for two reasons. The first reason is that you will have the fine weather and the long days to get ahead with the work, and it can be done much more satisfactorily now than in the winter; my second, and perhaps more important, reason is that it will give relief to the unemployed. If the Minister cannot give detailed information, I would like to get an assurance from him that there will be no undue delay in starting the work.
The idea is to push ahead with the work as rapidly as possible. The details of when the money would be issued are a matter rather for the Minister for Local Government than for me, but the money will be made available out of the Central Fund for the Road Fund as required. As I have said the intention is to push ahead as rapidly as possible with the schemes.
Question put and agreed to.
This Bill is a Money Bill within the meaning of Article 35 of the Constitution.
The Dáil went into Committee.