asked the Taoiseach if, from the point of view of efficiency, economy and general convenience of the public concerned, he will consider establishing an organisation in each county for controlling the following schemes, namely: rural improvement and minor relief, bog development, farm improvement, farm building, land reclamation and drainage; Land Commission forestry and other operations appurtenant to agricultural development; also schemes carried out under Government grants for the development of urban districts.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Control of Schemes.
I presume that what the Deputy suggests is the establishment of a single organisation in each county for controlling all the schemes he enumerates — and not an organisation in each county for each of the schemes. But, whichever alternative he has in mind, I am satisfied that his suggestion would not achieve greater efficiency, economy and convenience than obtain at present.
A single county organisation dealing with multifarious schemes administered by several Departments of State would be subject to the multiple control of those Departments, with all the confusion and complications in staff and other matters that such a system would entail.
In actual practice, the aim when determining the basis on which such schemes are organised is to select the type of organisation that best suits the particular circumstances and the particular requirements of each scheme. These circumstances and requirements will vary, to a greater or lesser extent, from scheme to scheme; some schemes are best administered direct by the central authority with staff operating from headquarters; others require local offices serving areas—not necessarily delimited by county boundaries—in which activities on the schemes are concentrated; while one of the schemes referred to by the Deputy —the land rehabilitation project—will require not one but several offices in each county.
Would the Taoiseach agree that there is a danger of overlapping in this plethora of schemes?
I would not.