asked the Minister for Local Government the number of workers currently employed on local improvements schemes throughout the country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Improvements Schemes.
2.
The most recent returns from county councils show that 413 persons were employed on local improvement schemes in the last pay week of November, 1975.
Would the Minister accept that with 120,000 people unemployed, by putting more money into LIS some of these people could be taken off the unemployment lists?
There were none employed in County Dublin.
Smart remarks like that will not do.
Deputy Burke is from County Dublin—I do not know whether he represents it or not—but there were no people employed in that scheme there. In the whole country in November there were 413 people employed on such schemes. Usually the work is held over until the last few months of the year so that the highest number employed would be at that time of the year.
In counties like Mayo there would be considerably more employed at the beginning than at the end of the year when the money has been spent.
In Mayo as in other counties, the jobs are retained until later in the season. In Mayo the numbers employed in LIS are higher, relatively, than elsewhere.
As far as Galway is concerned, is the Minister aware that all drainage is done in the summer under these schemes? I agree about holding the jobs up until the end of the year——
I said yesterday that the amount would be the same this year as last year. I cannot see why Fianna Fáil want to have it both ways. They complained yesterday because they thought the money was to be cut but now when it has been intimated that it will not be cut, they are still complaining.
Would the Minister say that even though the amount is the same the same proportion will be given to each county?
That is something I could not say. Usually the proportion given to each county is the same from year to year.
Some counties come out better than others.
Some counties will always complain no matter what they get.
Most of the work entails tarring and chipping and this has to be done in good weather. That does not bear out what the Minister says.
I do not agree. Deputies from the west will agree with me, not with the Deputy from Monaghan.