asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware that the cessation of operations under the Local Authorities (Works) Act has reduced the potential for employment by local authority engineers by twenty per cent.; and if he will take steps to meet this undesirable situation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Authorities (Works) Act: Cessation of Operations.
17.
I would refer the Deputy to my speech in the course of the debate on a Private Members' Motion on this matter which was dealt with by the House last December. My speech is reported in the Official Report of 9th and 11th December, 1959. I have nothing to add to what I then said on the matter.
Would the Minister refresh my memory? Did he acknowledge in that speech that there was a reduction in the employment of local engineers?
I am afraid my memory is much the same as the Deputy's. I cannot recall at the moment.
I must appeal to the Chair. I put down a question to the Minister and I have not had an answer to it.
I referred the Deputy to a very full statement on this whole matter on the 9th and 11th December last.
Has the Minister anything further to say in regard to his proposal that certain other drainage works would be carried out in the near future under the auspices of some other Department?
As the Deputy has indicated, the matter is with the other Department.
There was no announcement from any other Department and I thought the Minister had responsibility for it.
Not when I stated it was for another Department.
Is the Minister not aware that the Parliamentary Secretary in charge of that other Department indignantly repudiated the undertaking given by the Minister for Local Government?
The Minister does not accept there was any repudiation.
Did the Parliamentary Secretary sitting there behind you not say that there was no——
That is a separate question.