asked the Minister for Finance if he will state in respect of the Boyne arterial drainage scheme (a) if a number of men are being laid off, (b) if so, the number and (c) why they are being laid off.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Boyne Drainage Scheme.
14.
No men employed on the Boyne drainage scheme have been or are at present being laid off.
That is not the question which the Parliamentary Secretary was asked and which I would be glad if he would answer. I asked him if a number of men are being laid off——
No.
——during the year and the reason why. Would the Parliamentary Secretary say if there is a reduction in the amount of money being spent on the Boyne this year?
"Reduction" is not the correct word. As the Deputy is probably aware——
The Parliamentary Secretary may find another word for it but it will be equally hard on the men.
The Commissioners requested £1,020,000 for arterial drainage work this year and this amount has been reduced to £878,000. This sum will be required to dispose of the final stages of schemes now coming to completion and it will also be required for the Boyne drainage scheme. No men have been laid off on the Boyne scheme but the engineer is refraining from building up to the maximum potential he has through the work force available to him.
Is it correct that on the Boyne it is not proposed to recruit any further staff as was originally intended, that it is not proposed to replace those who for one reason or another leave the job and it is not proposed to do any overtime work on the river, which is in effect what the men lived on during the summer period because their wages are pretty bad? Is this so?
What is so is that there will certainly be a reduction in overtime.
Is it not the case that work has been restricted on the Enfield-Blackwater as a result of lack of transport and these workers will not be able to find other employment?
I was not asked about the Enfield-Blackwater.
That is part of the Boyne drainage scheme.
The Boyne drainage scheme will take ten or 12 years.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary not appreciate that the number of people who hoped to be employed on the Boyne this year are over 50 years of age and were on the dole? I am sure he appreciates what that means.