asked the Minister for Finance whether it is proposed to cease maintenance work on the Glyde and Dee drainage at the end of November; and, if so, (a) how many men are being laid off and (b) why their period of employment this year is so short.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Glyde and Dee Drainage.
36.
This year's maintenance programme on the Glyde and Dee drainage scheme will be completed within the next fortnight and 24 seasonal workers will be laid off. The period of employment of such workers in any year is dictated by the amount of maintenance needed and by weather conditions.
The Parliamentary Secretary will remember that last year when this work was being terminated rather early, some time in mid-December, he was good enough to intervene and have the men kept on until after Christmas. Does the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that the main reason given last year was that there was a shortage of money for doing the job, because of an increase in wages particularly, and is he aware that this year the men were not started until 1st June instead of early in March and that they will be laid off at the end of November, and would he again use his good offices to ensure that the job will remain open until after Christmas?
There is no question of the Office of Public Works saving money because this money does not come out of the Office of Public Works; it is completely paid back by the county councils. The full cost of drainage maintenance is recovered from the county councils involved who are entitled to be satisfied that no uneconomic expenditure takes place. The plain fact is that the full programme laid down for this season is now virtually completed. There will be 13 men kept on the permanent staff.
The Parliamentary Secretary is repeating what has been written down for him but he must be aware that these statements are entirely incorrect and that the facts are that the money was not made available because it was not asked for by his Department and the job is not half done and it must be completed or otherwise the whole arterial drainage of those rivers will have been wasted. Would the Parliamentary Secretary have a look at it and try to have these men kept on to do very necessary work? He did it last year.
As I understand it, the works to be carried out are agreed between the county councils and the Office of Public Works.
No, they are not. The Office of Public Works decide themselves on what should be done and make a demand for repayment from the county council. This year they did not ask for enough money and now they are laying off men because they got a wage increase.
That is not so.
It is so, and the Parliamentary Secretary knows it.