asked the Minister for Local Government if he will consider restoring minor employment scheme grants as such grants can be used successfully for the carrying out of repairs on bog roads and for providing much needed employment for small farmers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Minor Employment Schemes.
19.
Since the type of works formerly carried out under the minor employment scheme can now be done under the local improvements scheme operated by the County Councils, it is not proposed to reintroduce the former scheme.
Is the Minister aware that there is general confusion about the circular issued by the Minister in connection with local improvement schemes? We understood from the Minister that 10 per cent would be paid in respect of all roads with bog at the end of them. In my county the circular is being interpreted as meaning that there must be a large number and that you cannot ascertain the valuations before you get going at 10 per cent.
I am not quite sure what the Deputy is talking about. He knows that no contribution is required under a rateable valuation of £5. I will have the matter investigated and write to the Deputy about it.
I have raised this time and again at local level. Bog roads are held up and I would like a clear and final statement from the Minister that all roads with bog at the end of them can qualify for the 10 per cent if they are over £5 valuation.
It is surprising if everybody is so dissatisfied with it that I have not got any complaints from anybody so far. I will have the matter investigated.
The Minister has one now from a man who understands all about it.
It must be within the last few days. It has not come to me yet.
Would the Minister agree that there is not enough money to cover the local improvement schemes in many counties and that the Minister is adding on further schemes by suggesting that bog schemes should be done under the local improvement schemes? The counties in which the money is not adequate are the counties which have the most bog for development and need it most.
Deputy Gibbons is generalising.
As it relates to my own constituency then.
If Deputy Gibbons wants a specific answer, he should put down a question asking about his constituency and I will have the necessary information. He will find that the information he is attempting to give the House is not accurate and I would like to give him the opportunity of asking a question so that I can give him accurate information.
Question No. 20.
Would the Minister not agree that most county councils have a very long list of applicants for the LIS that they have programmed in advance and that in many instances it is not possible to channel that money to bog roads?
This is 1975 and the matter of the bog roads arose in 1974 so if they are not on the list they must not be considered very important by the local authority. The counties of the three Deputies who have been talking have got a tremendous amount of money under the LIS even last year and this year and I do not know what they are talking about.
Question No. 20.
One supplementary, please.
I have called the next question. I have allowed the Deputies a lot of latitude. This must be the final supplementary.
Is the Minister aware that in my county there are 210 applications and it would take almost ten years to cope with those? How can he reconcile that with the statement he made about the priority being given to schemes?
As the Deputy is well aware, many of the applications are not what would be called top priority applications, otherwise they would have been dealt with before now. If bog roads were so very important surely they would have taken priority over the ones being talked about now? The 200 applications mentioned by the Deputy did not arise in the last two years. They have been there for about 20 years.
(Interruptions.)
Question No. 20.