asked the Minister for Finance if he will state in respect of each of the headings to which sums have been allocated from the additional £1,000,000, which is being provided for projects of a public character, the estimated additional employment which the sums allocated will permit and the period of time covered by each such allocation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Additional Employment on Public Projects.
It is not practicable to furnish even an approximate estimate of the additional number who will be employed in the execution of the various projects. As already announced the Government have made the sum of £1,000,000 available for expenditure during the remainder of this financial year.
Would the Minister state (a) from what sources he proposes to obtain this £1,000,000 referred to in the question, and (b) what part of the Government's capital programme will be reduced by reason of this allocation?
That seems to be an entirely separate question.
Does the Minister anticipate that the moneys allocated to the E.S.B. will result in increased employment by that body?
I am quite certain that the allocations to the E.S.B. will be used to retain certain people in employment.
How does the Minister reconcile that with what another Minister told us recently, that the E.S.B. was merely stepping down employment? We were told that there was no question of a shortage of money so far as employment in the E.S.B. was concerned.
I do not think that the Deputy was told anything of the sort.
We all heard the Tánaiste say it.
I heard what the Tánaiste said also and I think that if the Deputy considered the question more carefully he will realise that there is nothing inconsistent between tapering down and these particular moneys being made available.
Would the Minister tell us why it was necessary to give the E.S.B. a loan of £1,000,000 in view of the fact that the Tánaiste has already stated that the E.S.B. has shown a surplus in its operations?
The Deputy should appreciate that there is a difference between a surplus in profit and loss account and cash resources available.