asked the Minister for Finance if any grants are being made available to Dublin Corporation to enable them to carry out relief employment in the City of Dublin; and, if so, if he will state the nature of the work to be done and approved of by his Department.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Relief Grants.
As the Deputy is no doubt aware, special employment schemes are sanctioned each year to provide a spell of employment as unskilled labourers for men in receipt of unemployment assistance.
It is not possible at this early stage of the financial year to state the total amount of the allocation which will be made available for Dublin County Borough from the provision in the current year.
I should add, however, that on 1st April, 1953, road works involving a total expenditure of approximately £48,000 sanctioned last year were available for employment in Dublin, and I am informed that nine of these works, representing an expenditure of £29,000, approximately, have not yet been put in hands.
Mr. A. Byrne
The Parliamentary Secretary says "at this early stage" it is not possible to do certain things. Why is it not possible at this early stage, especially when work is so urgently needed by the unemployed who are waiting for some comfort from you, or generally, from the Government and corporation? Why wait until next winter when people are looking for work?
The Deputy who put down the question and the Deputy who has asked the supplementary question are, I understand, both aldermen of the corporation, and as such, I am sure they have access to the road section of the corporation. I think it would be more appropriate, at least for the Deputy who put down the question, to go there and inquire why at least three schemes for £15,000 in his particular constituency at Blackhorse Avenue, Phibsboro' Road andNew Cabra Road have not yet been put in hands.
Mr. A. Byrne
We did so. The very question which the Parliamentary Secretary has asked me was asked by me this morning in the corporation, and what they told me was that they had no money—that no money would be available until next winter.
Question No. 7.
(Interruptions.)
If these works were put in hands they would confer much greater benefit on the unemployed people concerned in that particular constituency than the distribution of sweets at a by-election.
Mr. A. Byrne
The unemployed have asked me to ask you—people who are starving.
Arising out of the Parliamentary Secretary's reply, I should like to ask if it is the technique of the Fianna Fáil Party to shout down supplementary questions?
To expose humbug.
I want to ask the Parliamentary Secretary—you will not shout me down.
(Interruptions.)
What the Deputy is asking has no relation to the question on the Order Paper.
As soon as I get silence I want to ask a supplementary question. On the specific question referred to by the Parliamentary Secretary, the local authority has been asked and has replied that the reason why the work cannot be gone ahead with is that money will not be made available until next winter. Will the Parliamentary Secretary now give an undertaking to take the matter up with the local authority and clarify the matter so that the money will be made available forthwith?
I have already clarifiedthe position in my reply and also in my supplementary reply.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary state whether it is a fact that the local authority will have no money available until next winter to carry out this work?
They have money available to the extent of £29,000 for schemes which have not yet been started.
What good is that? £500,000 is wanted.