asked the Minister for Finance the number of employees employed in the dredging of the Boyle and Bonet rivers in County Roscommon.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Roscommon River Dredging.
5.
There are 82 employees employed on the Boyle and Bonet drainage scheme at present.
How much money are the Department spending on the joint Boyle and Bonet scheme this year? The number he has given, 82, is very small. I suggest the scheme is not being carried out in the way ordinary arterial drainage schemes have been carried out. The scheme is moving much more slowly. It is funded by the EEC and because the number of employees is very small the scheme is being held up.
The amount spent last year on the joint scheme is £1 million. This year it is £1.35 million. As the Deputy knows, a drainage scheme starts off slowly and is built up. Extra men will be employed there this year.
Will the Minister give a breakdown of employment between the two rivers? I should like to know exactly how many are employed on the Boyle, the Roscommon section. Will the Minister investigate an allegation made by a local councillor that there is a bias against Roscommon workers on the scheme?
On the Boyle scheme in Roscommon there are five gangers, eleven drivers and nine labourers, making a total of 25. On the Bonet there are five gangers, seven drivers and 12 labourers, a total of 24. It is fair to say that the work is evenly divided between the two rivers.
That does not make 82.
There are other employees: there are five other men, three clerical workers, six work study assessors, craftsmen and so on. The others are allocated specifically to drainage work. Both rivers are being done in the one scheme, not two schemes. There are others employed generally on the scheme.
From the figures given it appears that the scheme is not being carried out as quickly as similar schemes in the past. This is being 50 per cent funded by the EEC and the Government should put more money into it to ensure more employment in the two counties.
At the moment all the people necessary are employed but as it progresses there will be more men employed this year. We are coming to work on bridges and so on and this will demand more men.
Is the Minister aware of an allegation by a councillor that there is discrimination against Roscommon workers? I hope the Minister does not interfere personally in the recruitment of staff.
The Deputy would be well advised not to go into that angle of it, because schemes have been manipulated. I assure the Deputy I do not do it nor have I ever done it. I refute the implication in what the Deputy has said. That sort of thing went on for a number of years on these schemes. I have not done it and many people in the Deputy's party are aware of that and have acknowledged it.
The Minister said that 49 are employed on the two rivers with 33 additional people at headquarters. In what capacity are they employed?
There are more men employed covering both rivers. There are five foremen, three clerks of work covering both rivers, six work study assessors covering both schemes and four craftsmen covering both schemes. There is one ganger on both rivers and five drivers covering both rivers. There are nine labourers who go from one river to the other.
Is any of them doing drainage?
They are chiefs.
They are not chiefs. They are the work force. Nine of them are labourers.
(Interruptions.)
I am calling Question No. 6.