asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that county councils have been instructed by the Department of Local Government and Public Health to include in rate estimates specified amounts as county contributions towards employment schemes, and that the amounts so contributed by councils last year had relation to stated Government contributions for the same purpose; and if he is prepared to state that the Government contributions will this year bear the same relation to county contributions as they did last year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Contributions to Employment Schemes.
The distribution of the moneys of the Employment Schemes Vote for 1940-41 has not yet been finally determined but in order that local authorities should be enabled to make provision for their contributions from the rates it was necessary to notify them in general terms in time for their rates meetings, which statutorily may be held any time after the 8th February. They were asked accordingly to make provisional arrangements on the same scale as for the current financial year. Broadly speaking, however, and with the exception of a few cases in which special considerations may arise it may be taken that the contribution required from each local authority towards the cost of employment schemes to which it contributes in the financial year 1940-41 will be in the same ratio to the State grant as in the current financial year.