asked the Minister for Local Government if in view of the serious unemployment of county council roadworkers in Cork he will make a grant available.
108.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Cork Roadworkers.
107.
asked the Minister for Local Government whether he is aware that Cork County Council have insufficient road funds to continue their workers in employment during the current year; and, if so, if he will provide a supplementary grant.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 108 together.
The resources of the Road Fund for the current year have already been allocated in full to road authorities and it is not possible, therefore, to allocate any additional grants from the fund. The latest information indicates that funds are available to Cork County Council out of the grant and rate provisions for expenditure on road works and local improvement schemes in the current year.
Considering that the Minister cut £68,000 from the Cork county road grant last year, would he now consider giving some of it back, having particular regard to the serious unemployment in the county? I am sure that by now he has got a request from the Cork County Council for such additional money.
I did not cut anything off.
It was £86,000. Deputy O'Sullivan reversed the figure. I wonder where the £20 million is going which was announced in October. We were expecting, when the Minister for Finance made that announcement, that all redundant road workers would be re-employed. Is the Minister aware that the position in County Cork, particularly in Clonakilty, is extremely serious and that the county council voted £5,000 from local revenue, which is in very short supply, so that employment could be continued to the end of the financial year? Would he consider, having regard to all the circumstances, giving a supplementary grant to enable the county council to continue their productive schemes and to give employment?
The Deputies will understand that Road Fund moneys available to me have been fully allocated and that there is no question of my being able to increase those grants once the Road Fund allocation has been allocated in full. There is no question of allocating any of the £20 million for additional capital works to the Road Fund. It was never stated that it would be. I have already, in reply to Deputy Desmond, given a full statement on the allocations given to my Department and where the money was spent.
Is the Minister not satisfied that Cork County Council this year were left short £86,000 from the Road Fund and is he not satisfied, in view of the fact that the Road Fund is increasing steadily——
It is not. There was a difference of £20,000 in the allocation to Cork as between 1970-71 and 1971-72. In 1970-71, County Cork was allocated £977,021 and in 1971-72 the allocation was £957,060. One must bear in mind that the figure in the former year included a special grant of £58,250 to deal with a special non-recurring proposal.