I propose to give the House a brief review of the past year's work. The amount made available by the Oireachtas for the provision of employment in the last financial year was £750,000, of which a sum of £714,911 was expended within the financial year. To this expenditure should be added the contributions by local authorities, amounting to £191,689, making a gross expenditure of £906,600. The details of the estimated expenditure to the 31st March, 1943, under the Vote, are as follows:— Public health works, State grant, £28,494; local contribution, £40,400, total, £68,894; housing site development works, State grant, £30,762, local contribution, £30,762, total, £61,524: urban employment schemes, amenity, State grant, £32,269, local contribution, £12,550, total, £44,819; urban employment schemes, roads, State grant, £193,572, local contribution, £44,200, total, £237,772; rural employment schemes, amenity, State grant, £225, local contribution, £45, total, £270; rural employment schemes, roads, State grant, £299,295, local contribution, £62,600, total, £361,895; minor employment schemes, State grant, £122,950, no local contribution; miscellaneous works, including marine works and mineral development, State contribution, £7,344, local contribution, £1,132, total, £8,476. The total State grants came to £714,911; the total local contributions to £191,689, making a full total of £906,600.
In addition to the £750,000 made available under the Employment Schemes Vote, 1942-43, a total sum of £487,160 was provided in the Special Emergency Schemes Vote, 1942-43, for certain works of the types which come within the scope of the Employment and Emergency Schemes Vote, 1943-44. The estimated expenditure to the 31st March, 1943, on each class of work concerned, is as follows:—Development works in bogs used by landholders and other private producers, State grant, £42,386; Farm Improvements Scheme, £222,558; Seed Distribution Scheme, £38,887; Lime Distribution Scheme, £9,735, making a total of £313,566. There has to be added to that: State grant expenditure under Employment Schemes Vote in 1942-43, £714,911, and the total will be £1,028,477. Add to that; local contribution on Employment Schemes Vote expenditure, which is £191,689, leaving the gross expenditure on employment and emergency schemes £1,220,166. The other services provided for in the Special Emergency Schemes Vote, 1942-43, such as the production of "Government" turf for use in non-turf areas, and the development of bogs taken over by local authorities for emergency turf production, do not come within the scope of this review as they have been transfered this year to other Votes. I will later refer more particularly to this matter.
Of the estimated expenditure of £906,600 from the Employment Schemes Vote (including contributions by local authorities) during the financial year 1942-43, approximately £310,000 was expended during the period 1st April to 30th September, and the balance of £596,600 during the winter months.
The maximum number of workmen employed at any one time during the year was 19,216. The average number employed during the period up to September was 3,364, and from October to March, 11,837. Of these approximately 78 per cent. were workmen who would otherwise have been entitled to unemployment assistance. The average period of employment given to individual workmen varies with the class of work, and in the different areas, but the total amount of employment afforded in 1942-43 is equivalent to 33,000 men receiving part-time employment for four or five days per week, for an average of 12 weeks.
The figures in the preceeding paragraphs are exclusive of the farm improvements scheme administered by the Department of Agriculture and schemes for the development of bogs used by landholders and other private producers which in 1942-43 were charged against the Special Emergency Schemes Vote, and on which a total estimated expenditure of £264,944 was incurred during the financial year. The average number of persons employed on these schemes in the period from 1st April to 30th September, 1942, was (1) farm improvements scheme, 5,940; (2) bog development schemes, 293, total, 6,233; and in the period from 1st October, 1942 to 31st March, 1943, was (1) farm improvements scheme, 8,727; (2) bog development schemes, 787, total, 9,514.
The total number of applications received for minor employment schemes during the year was 3,225, and about 4,700 proposals were investigated and reported on, including proposals already partially carried out. During the spring and summer approximately 110 minor drainage schemes were carried out at a cost of £7,600, principally for the development of bogs used by landholders for the supply of their domestic requirements of turf.
I now come to the provision for 1943-44, which is £1,250,000. Estimate of the amount required in the year ending 31st March, 1944, for employment and emergency schemes: the sum of £1,250,000 is made up as follows: Continuation of schemes sanctioned prior to 31st March, 1943 (re-vote), £625,000; miscellaneous new schemes, £625,000. To the amount of the Vote must be added contributions expected from local authorities, estimated at £180,000. This gives a total sum of £1,430,000, available for expenditure within the financial year 1943-44, and to enable this expenditure to be achieved within the time limit, it is proposed to authorise the initiation of schemes £646,000 (State grant) in excess of the amount of the Vote. This sum, together with a proportionate amount for local contributions, will be carried forward at the 31st March, 1944, to form part of the ensuing year's programme.
In this regard it is necessary again to remind the Dáil that a large portion of each year's Vote is allocated to local authorities, and the fulfilment of the estimate of expenditure depends largely on the acceptance of the grants on the terms offered and on the prompt submission of schemes by the local authorities.
Subject to the foregoing remarks, the following sets forth for each class of work the proposed expenditure in the year 1943-44: Department of Local Government and Public Health—public health works—State grant, £45,000, local contribution, £67,500, total, £112,500. Housing site development schemes, State grant, £15,000, local contribution, £15,000, total, £30,000. Urban schemes—amenity and roads— State grant, £190,000, local contribution, £47,600, total, £237,600. Rural schemes—amenity and roads—State grant, £200,000, local contribution, £46,550, total, £246,550. Department of Agriculture—Farm Improvement Scheme, State grant, £350,000, no local contribution. Seed Distribution Scheme, State grant, £55,000; no local contribution. Lime Distribution Scheme, State grant, £20,000; no local contribution. Special Employment Schemes Office—minor employment schemes: State grant, £150,000 to which there is no local contribution; Bog Development Schemes, State grant, £50,000, to which there is also no local contribution. Miscellaneous Schemes—amount required for Miscellaneous Schemes of an emergency character or for the relief of unemployment or distress, State grant, £146,200; local contribution, £3,350, total, £149,550.
In 1942-43 the administration of the Employment Schemes Vote and Emergency Schemes Vote was co-ordinated in the Special Employment Schemes Office. In the current year, 1943-44, the provision for grants-in-aid of the Turf Development Board, Ltd., and for the special schemes for the production of turf for use in non-turf areas and for miscellaneous fuel schemes has been transferred to Vote 69 (Department of Supplies); and provision for schemes for the development of bogs taken over by local authorities, for emergency turf production, and for schemes for reconditioning or repair of public roads subjected to heavy turf traffic, has been transferred to Vote 41 (Local Government and Public Health). The Special Employment Schemes Office are not now responsible for the administration of such schemes.
Provision for other services covered by the Emergency Schemes Vote, 1942-43, i.e., development of bogs in private production, farm improvements schemes, lime subsidy and seed distribution schemes, is now included in the Vote administered by my office under the title of "Employment, and Emergency Schemes Vote," and there is no longer a separate Vote for emergency schemes.
Although no longer responsible for emergency turf production schemes, the Special Employment Schemes Office collaborates in this matter as closely as possible with the Departments directly concerned; and in the allocation of grants for rural employment schemes due regard is given to the necessity for securing the maximum production of turf.
Between January, 1942, and January, 1943, the total number of men in receipt of unemployment assistance fell by about 16 per cent.; the reduction occurred in the rural areas and, to a lesser extent, in the urban districts. The allocations for the various services under sub-heads F, G and H have been prepared in accordance generally with the distribution of unemployment throughout the country. Under sub-head M an amount of £146,200 is included to provide for the execution of miscellaneous schemes and for new proposals as they are put forward during the course of the year.
As Deputies are, I am sure, acquainted with the various schemes hitherto financed from the employment and other schemes, I do not intend to refer to them specifically.
As the Minister indicated in his Budget speech, a sum of £100,000 has been earmarked from the provision under sub-head M to meet expenditure on a type of scheme not hitherto dealt with under this Vote, viz., works for the joint benefit of groups of farmers in areas in which the unemployment position does not warrant the sanction of grants under minor employment schemes. These works will comprise (a) accommodation roads to houses, farms and bogs; (b) small drainage works (excluding field drains), and (c) roads which connect two public roads.
This scheme is supplementary to the Farm Improvements Scheme provided for under sub-head J, and is designed to increase to the fullest extent the productive capacity of farms, and the provision of turf for farmsteads. Although the Farm Improvements Scheme, which has been successful in all parts of the country, allows of grants for the execution of works for the benefit of adjoining farms, in practice it is not extensively availed of for this purpose. The new scheme provides for State grants of 75 per cent. of the cost of works for the joint benefit of groups of farmers, and of an even larger percentage in the case of connecting roads and other roads which are mainly used by members of the public other than the farmers whose lands adjoin them. The works will in general be carried out by the Special Employment Schemes Office.