asked the Minister for Local Government if he has indicated to Westmeath County Council how the arterial road grants allocated to that county should be spent.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Westmeath Road Grants.
46.
Arterial road grants have been replaced by the national primary roads improvement and upkeep grants. It is a condition of the grant that improvement works shall be selected in consultation with the Department, by whom the full cost is met, and Westmeath County Council in common with all other road authorities have been so advised.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that last year Westmeath County Council received £65,000 less in road grants than they received in 1965 at a time when a road worker's wages amounted to £8 per week, whereas now his wages are almost £20 per week? Further, is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that county councils are not able to provide necessary employment because the grants are not being made by the Department? In fact, if we were to take into consideration the devaluation in money, we would need to be getting £120,000 more than we were getting in 1965 instead of getting £65,000 less.
The question relates to how grants should be spent and not to the amount of grants.
The question related to national primary roads. So far as finance is concerned, under this heading the grant to the county council concerned for 1970-71 was £70,000 and in 1971-72 it was £90,000.
We got £65,000 less in road grants than we got in 1965.