asked the Minister for Finance if he will make moneys available to local authorities for Christmas relief schemes in order to alleviate the prevailing hardship on unemployed men.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Christmas Relief Schemes.
7.
I would refer the Deputy to my written reply to Deputy Sweetman's question on 18th instant in which I gave particulars of the grants allocated to local authorities for employment schemes for the current winter.
I should like the Parliamentary Secretary to answer my question. Is he making moneys available for Christmas relief schemes?
Particulars of the grants already allocated and notified to the local authorities are contained in the written reply to Deputy Sweetman's question of yesterday. By and large, they work out the same as last year. They are based on the figures of unemployment insurance benefit——
In view of the great hardship at present prevailing among people drawing the dole and unemployment money, would the Parliamentary Secretary not consider that this is a time of emergency and that he should make a supplementary grant available to the local authorities for special Christmas relief work?
A lot of people have been cut off that dole to which the Deputy has referred.
Question No. 8.
The Parliamentary Secretary did not answer my question.
The particulars I have received in regard to the latest figures in most of the areas referred to do not show any appreciable change from this time last year.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that there is no local authority building going on in the borough of Waterford at the present time?
That is a separate question.
This is not a question. I am saying: is he aware of that, and, due to the fact that there is no building by the "builders" Government, will he say now that he will relieve that unemployment?
The grants available are based on the figures of registered unemployed. They have been allocated on that basis and have already been notified to the local authorities.