asked the Minister for Finance whether he has received representations from the Kildare County Council requesting a grant to provide useful work for unemployed persons; whether he proposes to accede to the council's request; and, if so, what is the amount of the proposed grant.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Work for Kildare Unemployed.
15.
A request has been received from the Kildare County Council for supplementary employment schemes grants but it is not possible to accede to it as the full amount available for employment schemes grants to local authorities in the current financial year has already been distributed, and the grants already allocated to County Kildare—particulars of which were given in reply to a parliamentary question on 25th November, 1958, Volume 171, column 786—represent its proportionate share in relation to the unemployment position in the area.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware of the fact that up to last year it was customary to make special grants to the Kildare County Council in respect of the lay-off of a substantial number of turf workers when turf harvesting was completed? Would the Parliamentary Secretary say whether it is proposed to make a similar grant this year to deal with that special problem?
I am not aware that such grants, as stated by the Deputy, were made.
In fact, they were.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary cause inquiries to be made in his own office and in the Department of his colleague, the Minister for Local Government, so as to satisfy himself that in fact these grants were made regularly for five years prior to last year; that the same unemployment problem exists now with the lay-off of turf workers due to the cessation of harvesting activities; and would he, therefore, make a special grant again this year in the case of Kildare and in the case of any other turf areas where unemployment is now high because of the conclusion of turf cutting activities?
The Deputy was told on previous occasions, when he raised this question, that these employment grants are reserved specifically for the U.A. class and not for people who are seasonally unemployed and who are entitled to U.I. benefits. I want to repeat that I am not aware that such grants were previously made over the period mentioned by either of the two Deputies, and the net position in Kildare to-day is that the unemployed number is 170 fewer this year and the unemployment grant is £300 greater than last year.
Those figures are not right.
Those figures are not correct. I shall get the correct figures by a parliamentary question.
Even the Minister for Local Government knows, judging by his face, that these figures are not correct.
I am just thinking that the answer was not the one expected.
No, the truth was not expected, and that is what we shall get.