asked the Minister for Local Government the total amount of money granted from his Department to the Waterford County Council for the years 1961-62 and 1962-63 under the following headings: (1) main road upkeep grant, (2) main road improvement grant, (3) county road improvement grant and (4) Gaeltacht grant; the number employed in the various road works in 1961-62; and the estimated number who will be employed in 1962-63.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Waterford Road Grants.
12.
The Road Fund grants notified to the Waterford County Council in respect of the financial year 1962-63 and referred to at (2), (3) and (4) of the Deputy's question, are the same as those allocated in respect of the financial year 1961-62 and are as follows:
(2) £32,800;
(3) £89,800;
(4) £5,000.
As the Deputy is no doubt aware, the amount of the upkeep grant referred to at (1) of his question is contingent on the amount provided by the council for this purpose and the rate of recoupment has this year been increased from 40 per cent. to 50 per cent. The amount of this grant in 1961-62 was £26,320. The grants at (2) and (3) are also contingent on a minimum provision for upkeep equivalent to that provided in 1961-62 being made in 1962-63. Having regard to the increase in the rate of recoupment of the main road upkeep grant from 40 per cent. to 50 per cent. this condition would have been met by a reduction of £6,580 in last year's provisions. In fact, however, the amounts originally proposed to be provided out of rates have fallen substantially short of the minimum requirements and my Department is in correspondence with the council on the matter.
I am informed that the subject is to be considered further by the council at a meeting on 28th instant. Pending the result of this consideration the Deputy will appreciate that I am not in a position to indicate the precise amounts of the grants which will in fact be allocated to the council for 1962-63.
The average monthly employment on road works in County Waterford in 1961-62 was 374. It would not be possible to give an estimate of the numbers to be employed in 1962-63 as this would depend on the types of works to be undertaken by the council in addition to the amounts of the grants and of the local rate provisions.