asked the Minister for Health how many of the 1,250 jobs generated at 13th October, 1977 by way of hospital construction projects were financed from the £13.5 millions capital allocated in last January's budget, together with the £2.5 million from the Local Loans Fund and Hospitals Sweepstakes Fund; how many were since created by a "grafted on" programme; and how the latter were financed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - New Jobs Creation.
28.
The 1,250 jobs referred to in my reply to the Deputy's previous question of 13th October, 1977, related to the 1977 capital allocation which amounts to £16 million. As I indicated in reply to supplementary questions on that occasion, some of the projects which had been approved for 1977 had not got under way as soon as was originally anticipated. Consequently, to ensure that the target figure for jobs would be met I approved of a number of additional projects following a review of the programme. Additional capital moneys will not be required for these extra projects in 1977. Capital will have to be allocated to some of them in 1978 to ensure their completion.
I have also approved of a commencement of work on the new Beaumont hospital project and in a Supplementary Estimate, which I propose to move in the next few weeks, provision will be made for the expenditure which will be incurred on this work in the present year. There will be about 30 new jobs involved in this project in 1977, but this figure will increase to 600 when building work is fully under way.
Is it now clear that the jobs created on foot of the capital programme in health this year were funded by the moneys made available last January and in no other way?
There were no moneys made available last January. Moneys were promised but no money was actually made available in the budget for job creation.
Is the Minister not aware that his reply some weeks ago was that the Exchequer grant-in-aid of £13,500,000, supplemented by £2,500,000 from the Hospitals Sweepstakes——
That was an ordinary capital allocation.
——and was designed to create new jobs as well as carrying out capital projects.
It was designed to meet the capital expenditure under the Department of Health in 1977.
And create employment, and the Minister told the House he had grafted on an extra programme.
This is a statement.
It is not clear from the Minister's reply that the jobs have been funded on foot of the moneys made available in the Exchequer grant-in-aid in last January's budget?
No. It is too complicated for the Deputy to understand.
I understand it all right. The Minister is trying to complicate it. I will ask another question if the Minister has not got it right yet.