asked the Minister for Local Government if he will now state when he proposes to sanction the request of the Kildare County Council for authority to increase the wages of road workers employed by the county council.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wages of Road Workers.
My Department is in correspondence with the local authority about this proposal and a further communication from the local authority is awaited.
I understand the position to be that the county manager intimated to the Minister that he was recommending an increase of 7/6 a week. The Minister informed me, in reply to a parliamentary question on the 13th May, that the proposal was then under consideration. What is the impediment which is preventing the Minister from giving a decision on the proposal that he has received?
There are certain requirements that I insist on when a proposal of this nature is submitted by a local body. In this case these requirements have not yet been satisfied. When they are I will give a decision on the proposal.
Would the Minister indicate what the point is?
I understand that this inquiry which the Minister is now directing to the local authority is a rather belated inquiry from the point of view of the Department. He has had the proposal under consideration for a long time. If the information which he had was not sufficient, surely this inquiry should have been institutedwithout holding up the matter as it has been held up for quite a long time.
It may appear to have been somewhat belated, but to tell the Deputy the truth I felt originally—as a matter of fact after one of Deputy Norton's supplementary questions on a previous occasion—that he had conveyed to me information which I found on examination not to be correct. Therefore, I have to check up on these matters.
The only information which I conveyed to the Minister was: (1) that the county manager had recommended an increase in wages to its road workers, and (2) that the local authority had provided for the payment of the additional wages in the rate which they struck for the current year. These are the only two conditions necessary when an increase is granted: (1) that the county manager recommends it, and (2) that there is provision made in the estimates to pay it. Both these conditions have been fulfilled. I do not know what other conditions the Minister wants fulfilled. Anyway, the situation is that these people are being paid an appallingly low wage and that the matter has been with the Department for quite a considerable time. Will the Minister say when they are likely to get the increase recommended by the county manager and approved by the county council, especially in view of the fact that a rate has been struck by the county council to meet the increase?
I have asked for certain information which, I think, it is desirable I should have before making a decision on this and on a number of more or less similar proposals which are before me. When I get that information I will not delay in making my attitude known to the councils concerned.
Can the Minister say, are we likely to get an early decision on this matter?
I am awaiting information from the local authorities on the matters on which I require information.
How long after that will it be before they get a decision from the Minister?
I cannot bind myself down to any time.
Will the Minister be a bit reckless for once and tell us will it be within the next week?