asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he has received from the County Manager for Leix-Offaly a proposal to increase the wages of all county council road workers as has been agreed on by the manager and Leix County Council; and if he proposes to sanction the payment of same at an early date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Leix-Offaly Wage Increases.
Sanction has been given to the payment of an increase in road workers' wages of 4/- a week which is comparable with the recent increase in agricultural wages. The proposal to grant increases to other persons employed in connection with road schemes is still under consideration.
Will the Minister say when it is likely he will give a decision on the matter which is still under consideration?
Within the next few days.
Will the Minister state the facts which coerced him into sanctioning this increase and if this is the first increase which has been given to these men since the war started?
I had better deal with the latter part of the supplementary question first. With reference to this particular case, this is not the first increase. This is the third increase these men have got since the war started. As to the circumstances which coerced me, they were the general circumstances of the time.
The Minister had a look at the increase in the cost of living?
I suppose that is one of the circumstances of the time.
The Minister had other applications before him for approval of wages increases from other county councils. Am I to take it that that increase of 4/- has been approved in the case of one county council and not in the case of the others?
Where proposals have been submitted to me they have been dealt with on that basis.
On the basis of the 4/-?
That is much too general a question to give a reply to on a supplementary question.