asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware that the management of Cavan County Council have informed the unions concerned that the local authority are unable to implement the first phase of the national understanding 1980 on the due date, due to an insufficiency of funds and, that the local authority are also unable to restore to employment regular employees already laid off for the same reason; and the measures proposed to be taken by his Department to enable this and other local authorities, to implement fully the pay and social provisions of the national understanding.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Payment of National Understanding.
22.
I understand from Cavan County Council that they have not informed the unions as suggested in the Deputy's question. In so far as Cavan County Council and local authorities generally are concerned, I have been informed that agreements to apply the pay and other provisions of the recent agreement on pay policy have been made between the Local Government Staff Negotiations Board representing local authorities and the appropriate trade unions. The taking on or laying-off of employees are matters for each local authority and are not matters in which I have a direct function. However, as announced by the Minister for Finance on 31 October last the Government have approved additional expenditure of £97 million under the national understanding. The additional expenditure includes £35 million in the local government sector.
I am sure that there will be joy in the hearts of the unemployed road-workers on hearing that £97 million is to be provided by way of the national understanding, particularly since Cavan County Council have already laid off 16 regular, unsuperannuated workers and 56 regular workers, the latter number having been reduced to 46. Would the Minister agree that what is being done is that a number of local authorities, including Cavan County Council, are trying to save money even by putting people on a three-day week? In other words, they are doing the Kilkenny-cat stunt of feeding the cats with their own tails.
May we have a question, please?
Is the Minister aware that the local authorities are using the money they save by way of laying off some workers in an effort to keep other workers in employment? The whole matter has been discussed by the county council and has been put in writing. In these circumstances, is the Minister prepared to make further inquiries?
The taking on or laying off of workers are matters for each local authority. They are not functions for which I have responsibility.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Is the Minister aware that Cavan County Council have put a number of men on a three-day week and that the result of this is that a man with, say, three children, whose take-home pay on fulltime work was £61 is now receiving a total of £74 per week, made up of his wages from the council and benefit from the Department of Social Welfare? Is the Minister aware also that when the Minister for Finance was requested by another county to make the money available from the social welfare side to the Department of the Environment so that the men could be kept on and the roads put into some sort of reasonable order, his reply was to the effect that there was no money to buy tar or to buy stones or shovels? Is this not a crazy economic situation and will the Minister do something about it?
I do not have a direct function in the matter but I am aware that a number of employees of Cavan County Council are on a three-day week.
(Cavan-Monaghan): In how many other counties is there the same situation and with the crazy result I have outlined?
Is not capitalism a very efficient system?
I shall allow a final supplementary from Deputy Tully.
Would the Minister not agree that if the Department of the Environment do not provide the necessary moneys for local authorities to enable them to continue to employ their workers and that if in order even to attempt to honour the national understanding local authorities find it necessary to lay off a number of regular workers, the responsibility falls back into the Minister's lap? Will he not endeavour to ensure that local authority employees who have been in regular employment for ten years should be kept in employment and not made the playthings of a Government who do not know what they are doing?
(Cavan-Monaghan): Fianna Fáil have never before had a majority of 20 on the council.
That may have some bearing on the matter.