asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state the number of road workers employed by county councils at the latest date available and at a similar date last year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment on Roads.
The total number employed on 31st January, 1958, was 14,365. The total on the corresponding date in 1957 was 15,650. These figures do not include persons employed on schemes financed from the Employment and Emergency Schemes Vote.
Would the Minister reconcile those figures of reduced unemployment with the statement of the Minister for Finance last week that this Government had provided much more money for road works in the present financial year?
We had to put up the money. In fact, it is the same answer. We are trying to pay the debts incurred before we came in.
Tripe!
Would the Minister be prepared to state what sum of money out of this year's allocation was spent to finance road works in the last financial year?
I think we have to foot the bill to the tune of £900,000 in the present year and we have still a bit to meet in the years to come.
I am not interested in what the Minister thinks.
I know that £900,000 will have to be got from the Exchequer in order to bolster up a Road Fund that had already been wrecked.
Nonsense. We shall have questions about the National Development Fund and Road Fund allocations.
I asked a question to which I did not get an answer. What was the exact figure taken out of this year's allocation to pay for Road Fund works in the last financial year, 1956-57?
I shall give the Deputy another one. In 1954, when Fianna Fáil left office, outstanding commitments against the Road Fund——
Will the Minister answer my question?
I shall answer the question in the way I intend to answer it. If Deputies are allowed to ask questions surely I should be allowed to answer them. In 1954, when Fianna Fáil left office, the outstanding commitment against the Road Fund, which is now under discussion, was £1.8 million. When the Coalition left, after three years in office, the outstanding commitments had risen from £1.8 to £4.4 million.
That is the answer.
Would the Minister say what bridge expenditure was incurred in that?
The bridge between Labour and Fine Gael.
The Deputy should bridge that gap.
I have not got an answer to my question.
The Minister is too busy as a company director.
I certainly shall not perjure myself in any of my transactions anyway.