asked the Minister for Local Government the cause of the delay in sanctioning £74,000 applied for by Galway County Council in December 1974 for small water and sewerage schemes which are urgently needed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Galway Water and Sewerage Schemes.
8.
The allocations to local authorities generally under this sub-programme are under consideration in my Department. Local authorities will be notified of their individual allocations as soon as practicable.
Some time ago I was informed by the Minister that schemes amounting to £26,000 were forwarded to the Department for approval last year——
I regret I cannot hear the Deputy.
I do not like to be shouting because too much of it is done in this House. When I asked the Minister about last year's allocation he blamed the local authority for not having sent up the schemes in time. The Minister then informed me that he had sanctioned schemes amounting to £26,000 but Galway County Council did not receive the £26,000. As far as the £74,000 for this year is concerned, there are a number of small schemes ready to go ahead but nothing can be done until we receive sanction from the Department. When will this sanction be given?
The Deputy or the local authority may be confused in this matter. When I answered a question by the Deputy previously about this matter I informed him that in accordance with Circular 174 on procedures a local authority may submit in the last quarter of the year a programme of small schemes and schemes which cost less than £20,000 which it is proposed to carry out the following year. By letter dated 20th December, 1974, received in the Department on 13th January, 1975, Galway County Council submitted details of their programme of small schemes for 1975 totalling £74,000. Two further schemes were added by a submission received on 30th January, 1975 making a total programme of £100,000.
As a few local authorities had submitted their programmes for 1975 a circular was issued to local authorities informing them that if they were to be considered for allocation of capital for such schemes in 1975 the necessary particulars would require to be submitted by 21st January, 1975. Local authorities have now submitted all their schemes. I am sure the Deputy will agree that it would be unfair to allocate grants to particular local authorities until we know what the overall position will be. I assure the Deputy that as soon as I can—I hope in the next week or so—I will give the necessary information to his council.
What I am worried about is the fact that we did not get the £26,000 for last year. I would be satisfied if I was given a decision within a week. I hope the year will not go by without the local authority being given a decision in the matter.
If a local authority submits an application at the end of the year in addition to what they have already asked for it is unreasonable that they should expect that it should be paid to them during that year. I will write to the Deputy and give him the particulars, including the reference to the £26,000, in the course of the next few days so that he will know if we are talking about the same thing.
Is the Minister aware that the additional request from Galway County Council was made following a phone call from an official in his Department?
I would imagine that is so because we felt that Galway could use more than they had asked for.