asked the Minister for Finance if he will state in relation to the Limerick Corporation what proposals for loans from the Local Loans Fund are at present before him, the present position in each case, and when payment will be made.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Limerick Corporation Loans.
Proposals in relation to Limerick Corporation for loans from the Local Loans Fund amounting to £410,200 under the Housing of the Working Classes Acts and £26,500 under the Sanitary Services Acts are at present before me and are being examined departmentally. Pending the completion of this examination, I cannot say to what extent these proposals will be accepted. The Deputy will appreciate that detailed scrutiny of proposals involving such substantial outlay from the Local Loans Fund is essential in the public interest.
Is the Minister aware that the greater part of this money requested by the Limerick Corporation has already been spent, due to the generosity of the banks in furnishing us with overdrafts? Is the Minister further aware that if there is any more delay in coming to a decision on these applications, the position of the building industry will become more critical than it is already? Would the Minister indicate when he will be in a position to deal with these applications? It is very difficult for a local authority to plan ahead and at the present time we in Limerick are coming to a full stop, due to our inability to plan in relation to further schemes. We have not been paid for the ones we did.
If the Deputy is correct in what he says, that the amount required is merely in repayment of bank advances, I cannot see why the other parts of the supplementary arise. I must ensure that there is adequate examination in relation to these matters and I might add that, of the amounts in question, approximately all, other than £28,000, reached my Department only last month or this month and I do not think that that is a very lengthy period in which to examine projects of that size.