asked the Minister for Finance whether, in view of the great number of unemployed throughout the country, and the approach of winter, it is intended to introduce a supplementary grant for public works of a useful character, to be administered by local authorities or otherwise; if so, whether he can state what the amount of the vote will be; and when it will be submitted to the Dáil.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - SUPPLEMENTARY GRANT FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
A question in similar terms to this has already appeared on the Order Paper for 10th October. I have nothing to add to the reply then given.
Will the Minister say whether he has any information as to the number of schemes the local authorities are prepared to submit in connection with a vote of this kind if grants are made available?
No.
Will the Minister say if there is any change in the conditions now as compared with last year or if there is less unemployment or less need for relief now than there was twelve months ago?
Does the Minister realise the seriousness of the situation and the amount of unemployment, poverty and hardship existing throughout the country? I am afraid from his reply that he does not. I notice he is remaining silent in regard to it. Unfortunately, the unemployed have to remain both hungry and silent.
Are we to understand from the Minister's silence that he is going to leave the workless people without assistance or hope of assistance during the coming winter?
Is the Minister for Finance aware that the relief grant given last Christmas expired, and that not one man received a day's work since the 31st March last from any of the relief authorities? In view of that fact, will he see that something is done to relieve the poverty and destitution that exist in Dublin to-day?
The Committee on Unemployment which was set up definitely regarded the voting of relief moneys and the carrying out of works with them, as has been done for a number of years recently, as a very unsatisfactory way of meeting the distress situation. They said that relief works, as they were carried out in connection with such a scheme, were regarded as being generally demoralising and excessively costly. I think that it is practically impossible to prevent, what is in effect, a waste of money in connection with such schemes, and I think that the situation would need to be shown to be very serious indeed, and to be impossible to meet in any other way before we would be justified in coming to the Dáil with proposals for a vote of money now which would certainly have to be accompanied by taxation proposals.
Will the Minister give an undertaking to consult with the Minister for Local Government and Public Health as to the number of applications already lying in his Department and the number of schemes that can be submitted by the local authorities throughout the country, but which cannot be undertaken without some financial assistance from the Government?
I notice the Minister has fallen back on the report of the Committee on Unemployment as a reason for not giving a grant from the Central Funds this year. In view of his falling back on that report, I ask if he is prepared before the winter is out to have some of the recommendations of that Committee put into effect?
Will the Minister, in view of the fact that much unemployment exists in the City of Cork, and as he has now stated that the giving of these grants was both demoralising and costly, consider an alternative scheme whereby useful reproductive work would be provided?
The Minister has now practically invited the House to show that exceptional conditions exist, and that if that can be proved something will be done by the Government. I will ask the Minister if he will ask the Minister for Local Government and Public Health, who is sympathetic in this matter, to investigate the list of names sent in. Practically the names of 200 of these families have been sent in to the Local Government Board as the cases of persons requiring either relief work or food. Is the Minister aware that nothing has been done since this list was sent in? Will the Minister for Finance consult the Minister for Local Government and Public Health, who, I am aware, is rather sympathetic in this matter?
May I ask the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied that the conditions are so much better now than they have been for the last four or five years, that there is no necessity this year for a grant? Are we to take it that the conditions have improved so much that destitution is not as rife now as one or two years ago?
I do not think there are grounds for the Deputy saying "for the last four or five years." There was a grant last year. I think there was no grant the year before. It is extremely difficult, I know, to say whether the conditions are fractionally better or worse in a particular year. There was one year in which the conditions were worse than in any other. That was the year in which the fluke epidemic took place. As regards the other years, it is very difficult to say. It is not my duty, departmentally, to look for avenues of expenditure. I will hear any representations that are put forward by the Department of Local Government and Public Health, which has a duty in respect of destitution. I will hear any representations that are put forward by any other Department, but I do not concede that it is my particular duty to look for ways of incurring expenditure.