asked the Minister for Local Government if, in view of the large scale unemployment created in North Kildare by the termination by Bord na Móna of the employment of a large number of employees, he will make available further grants under the Local Authorities (Works) Act or otherwise to enable these men to be employed at least until after Christmas.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Bord na Móna Schemes in Kildare.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will have a special grant made available under the Local Authorities (Works) Act, to provide employment for the workers who have lost, or will lose in the immediatefuture, their employment with Bord na Móna at Timahoe North and South bogs, County Kildare.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 59 together.
The grant for works under the Local Authorities (Works) Act already notified to the Kildare County Council is the maximum amount which can be made available and cannot be increased. Should a situation such as is envisaged in the questions arise, consideration of the allocation of grants for the provision of employment in the area would be a matter for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance.
Has the Minister not been given information by Bord na Móna that as soon as this situation had arisen, they undertook to Deputy Norton and myself to give him?
I heard that it was about to arise, but I did not hear that it had actually arisen.
Is the Minister aware of the fact that some hundreds of local workers have been laid off on these particular schemes, that a further layoff is threatened, and that this is happening within four or five weeks of Christmas? In view of that, is it not obviously desirable from every standpoint that some employment of a constructive and useful character should be provided without having these people traipsing to the labour exchange between now and Christmas, a time when most workers find that even their normal wages are insufficient for them to meet the needs of that particular season?
Well, of course, there is no element in my Estimates intended to provide for a situation of the kind visualised in the County Kildare. Therefore, I am not in a position to say that I could make provision in the event of such eventualities arising there or in any other place.
Is the Minister aware that Kildare County Council engineers have prepared schemes inthe northern area to the value of £27,000 odd, in the central area to the value of £6,700 odd, and in the western area to the value of £2,800 odd, on works that they are prepared to stand over as being desirable productive works under the Local Authorities (Works) Act if the Minister will make the grants available?
There is a pool of work approved—it has been submitted by county engineers in every county—and it is from that pool that they select works.
But this is in addition to that.
I understand that, in the ordinary way, it is from that pool they select the works which are executed from any grants that are made available to them.
Would the Minister bear in mind the very unusual situation which has arisen because of the manner in which Bord na Móna organises its work, and say whether he is prepared to make a grant available to meet the situation which has arisen at this particular season in this particular area?
Any moneys provided from my Estimate for works of that nature have been allocated. The only thing I have undertaken to do in the event of the situation which is visualised developing, is to ask the Office of Public Works to consider what they can do in order to alleviate any hardships that may exist there.
In view of the situation which has arisen, would the Minister consider sending an officer from his Department, or from the Board of Works, to the area to ascertain the extent of the unemployment that is there and so have some work provided for those people before Christmas?
It is not a question of my trying to shelve any responsibility. I can only repeat that I cannot say what line of action the Office of Public Works may take if a situation such as that visualised should develop there.