asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state (1) the total cost of schemes under the Local Authorities (Works) Act submitted to his Department by the Kerry County Council for sanction for the financial year ending 31st March, 1953; (2) the total amount of such grants sanctioned so far and (3) the amount awaiting sanction.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Authorities (Works) Act Schemes.
(1) £25,860; (2) £24,000; (3) nil.
Will the Minister state when sanction was given for the grant that has been allocated to the local authority in Kerry?
I will ask the Deputy to take note of the question he asked me.
I asked when sanction was given.
Sanction has been given for the figures I have mentioned.
But on what date?
I did not think that information was requested.
Because sanction has been given too late for the work to be carried out this year.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware that there is a considerable degree of unemployment amongst road workers in County Cavan and if he will indicate (a) the amount of grants sanctioned in respect of this county for the current year under the Local Authorities (Works) Act, and (b) the amount sanctioned in respect of 1951; and if, to relieve unemployment of the road workers, he will make a grant available from the Road Fund.
The answer to the first part of the Deputy's question is in the negative and the last part does not therefore arise.
The grants sanctioned under the Local Authorities (Works) Act, 1949, in the county in 1951 and in the current financial year were £44,000 and £22,000 respectively. I would point out at the same time that there has been an increase of £29,594 in the amount of the grants allocated from the Road Fund this year as compared with last year.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state the amount of the grants allocated to the Kildare County Council in each year under the Local Authorities (Works) Act.
The grants allocated to Kildare County Council for the execution of approved works under the Local Authorities (Works) Act, 1949, are as follows:—
|
1949-50 |
£53,579 |
|
1950-51 |
£61,000 |
|
1951-52 |
£44,000 |
|
1952-53 |
£23,000 |
asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware of the increase in unemployment in rural areas; and, if so, if he will consider increasing the amount provided in his Department's Estimate under the heading of grants to local authorities for the execution of works under the Local Authorities (Works) Act, 1949, so that county councils may be enabled to engage in further drainage works and so provide more employment.
In the present financial year county councils have been allocated as grants for road works and works under the Local Authorities (Works) Act, £240,000 more than was made available to them for the same purposes last year. It is not my intention, therefore, to ask the Dáil to provide further moneys in the present year for works under the Local Authorities (Works) Act.
Is the Minister aware that in respect of many counties, including my own, the increase given in respect of roads is more than offset by the decrease in the amount provided under the Local Authorities (Works) Act and that the biggest proportion of the 10,000 increase in the unemployed in this country over a year applies to the rural areas?
I am aware of some of the matters referred to by the Deputy and the only assurance I can give him is that with his co-operation I will try to be in a position next year to make some substantial grants for this purpose from the Road Fund.
Further arising out of the Minister's reply, would he consider with his colleague, the Minister for Finance, introducing into this House a Supplementary Estimate to provide moneys for drainage works to alleviate the position of unemployed people in the rural areas?
Moneys already allocated have not been expended in any county.
Is it not a fact that a greater amount has been spent on road works in the last six months and that the drainage works have not been engaged in to the same extent as they were in previous years?
Much of the grants made available under the Local Authorities (Works) Act is still unexpended.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state (a) the amount sanctioned and (b) the amount spent in each county under the Local Authorities (Works) Act on (1) A Schemes and (2) B Schemes and (3) the total sum expended under A and B in the Twenty-Six Counties.
I would refer the Deputy to my reply of the 20th February last to a question in somewhat similar terms in which I indicated that records are not kept which would give the information requested by him and that the preparation of this information would hardly be justified by the result.