asked the Minister for the Environment the number of regular employees normally engaged on road works who have been (a) laid-off and (b) placed on short time by (i) Cavan and (ii) Donegal County Councils; if he is aware that lay-offs of regular employees have not taken place in these local authorities since the war years; and if he will indicate the measures proposed to be notified to these local authorities to enable normal working to be resumed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Road Work Lay-Offs.
7.
Decisions on the employment of road workers are made by individual local authorities having regard to all relevant circumstances and it is not the general practice for them to forward information of the type requested to my Department. Supplementary road grants totalling £120,000 and £550,000 have been allocated to Cavan and Donegal County Councils respectively in pursuance of the Government's undertaking in the national understanding to maintain and stimulate employment.
Is the Minister of State aware that in both Cavan and Donegal roadworkers have been laid off and that in Cavan in particular quite a number are on short time? Does he not agree that since these people are in the main pensionable servants it is most unfair that they should be singled out for treatment like this? It is ridiculous for the Minister of State to say that information is not available in view of the fact that the only funds available to employ these people come from his Department. Further, is he aware that the amount of money available is not sufficient to re-employ the people who were laid off, even though a very sizeable slice went to Donegal recently? Will he see to it that further steps are taken to make money available?
As I stated in my reply, it is a matter for each local authority to decide on their own priorities and schemes. We have asked them to ensure that employment is continuous and to avoid fluctuations in employment. We are doing everything possible to achieve this end. The deputy raised the point about the amount of money available. For his information I should like to point out that in 1976 the total amount available to Cavan County Council for the road grant was £436,000 while in 1980 it was £1,115,00. It cannot be said that we are doing anything to create unemployment in Cavan. Since Donegal was mentioned, I should like to point out that in 1976 the total grant was £1,061,000 while in 1980 it was £2,898,000.
Does the Minister of State not understand that if we relate those figures to the inflation that has occurred in that period it is easy to see why the amount of money is not sufficient? Further, is he aware that in the past year the cost of materials alone for roadworks has increased by more than 34 per cent? In view of that, how does he expect the local authorities to keep people in employment when the money has not been given by the Department?
I am well aware that the amount has kept pace with inflation. We have done much more than that and we will continue our work.
The Minister of State cannot be serious; he must be joking.
Can the Minister provide any logical or reasonable explanation for the situation which occurred in Donegal where 110 workers who were laid off in August were, for some unexplained reason, taken back temporarily around the middle of October? Can he explain the circumstances in which the money was found and provided for that purpose?
I do not see how that arises on this question but in any event I have already answered it. The day-to-day operations of local authorities are matters for the county manager and the county council in question.
I am calling Deputy Tully to put a final supplementary question.
I want to go back to this matter. I have not got an answer from the Minister.
I cannot help that. Deputy Tully.
I wish to ask only one short supplementary question.
I have called Deputy Tully to put a question.
Has the Minister of State taken into account the fact that VAT has been collected from local authorities for the first time this year and has reduced substantially the amount of money available to them? Is he saying to the House that the only thing that is causing local authority employees to be laid off is the bloody-mindedness of the local authorities themselves?
I should like the Deputy to put a question.
Perhaps the Chair will allow me to ask a question?
There have been quite a few supplementaries on this question.
It is very difficult to elicit information.
Perhaps the Minister of State could give the following information to the House and that would solve the problem. He indicated the Department had informed all local authorities to maintain employment — or at least that is what I understood him to say. Will he give the House the reference number of the circular in question?
That is another question. I am calling Question No. 8.
Will the Minister of State tell us the reference number of the circular?
I wish to register my protest about the way the Minister of State has not answered my question. It appears that the Minister does not want to reply to questions.
I am not responsible for the replies. I have allowed quite a number of questions on this.
At least we should be given the opportunity to raise matters.
I have given a comprehensive reply and it is not my fault if some part of my reply has annoyed Deputies.
The Minister of State did not answer the questions. It was pure hookery.
Question No. 8.