asked the Minister for Local Government the amount of money given in road grants to Mayo County Council for the years 1965-66, 1966-67 and 1967-68.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Road Grants.
8.
The total amounts of the Road Fund grant allocations to Mayo County Council in the years 1965-66 and 1966-67 were £499,925 and £492,425, respectively. With regard to 1967-68 the total amount of the Road Fund grant allocations for improvement works is £372,970. In addition the council have been notified of a grant for Main Road Upkeep of 50 per cent of the provision being made by them for maintenance works on main roads. Pending receipt and examination of the council's proposals in this regard in the Department it is not possible to say what the amount of the allocation under Main Road Upkeep Grant will be.
Would the Minister not agree that the whole thing adds up to a substantial reduction in road grants to Mayo County Council?
We cannot say definitely until the amount of the Main Road Upkeep Grant is known.
9.
asked the Minister for Local Government the total amount of road grants allocated to County Donegal for the year 1967-68.
The total amount of the Road Fund Grant allocations to Donegal County Council for improvement works for the year 1967-68 is £445,100. In addition, the council have been notified of a grant for Main Road Upkeep of 50 per cent of the provision being made by them for maintenance works on main roads. Pending receipt and examination of the council's proposals in this regard in the Department, it is not possible to say what the amount of the allocation under Main Road Upkeep Grant will be.
Would the Minister agree that this is a substantial reduction on last year in the allocation of road moneys to Donegal County Council?
There are reductions under some heads.
Would the Minister further agree that this will mean more hardship on the small farmers in West Donegal?
No; the Government have made arrangements that that will not be so.
But does the Minister agree that this will mean less employment for the part-time small farmer? The Minister for Agriculture should answer the questions and stop grunting.
He is offering to go back to the Department of Local Government, if it would please the Deputy.
I am asking the Minister for Local Government, not the Minister for Agriculture.
The Minister for Agriculture did not say anything to the Deputy; the Deputy is trying to interpret what the Minister for Agriculture said to me.
I am asking the Minister for Local Government if he will agree that the amount of money allocated to Donegal County Council this year, being substantially reduced, will in effect mean that small farmers will have less opportunity of securing employment with Donegal County Council? Will he not further agree that many small farmers depend on at least 13 weeks so that they will qualify for unemployment assistance? Does the Minister not appreciate these facts?
The Deputy may not make a speech on a question.
The effect on employment in the classes to which the Deputy has referred will be marginal, if any, and in fact the reductions are under the heads which are under continuous attack by Fine Gael members of county councils, such as arterial road improvement and main road improvement.
Would the Minister tell us why, when a month ago the Minister for Finance estimated that road vehicle duties would be increased this years, he is now reducing the allocations to the local authorities?
One explanation is that the income last year was not as high as had been anticipated, and expenditure exceeded income.
Is it not a fact that the Estimate submitted by the Minister for Finance showed an increase of over £500,000 for motor vehicle duties this year? If that is so, why are the allocations being reduced; or is it that the figures tabulated——
There was a short fall of £500,000 last year.
Then it would appear that the figures tabulated by the Minister for Finance prior to the introduction of his Budget Statement were, as we suspected at the time, not accurate.
I think the Deputy will find that they were accurate.