asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he is aware that the Cork County Council asked for tenders for roads in the Macroom Rural District Council area and gave the working of these roads to contractors, in spite of the recommendation of Macroom Council to have the work done by direct labour to relieve unemployment; if he will state if the County Council was justified in its action, and, if not, whether he intends to take any action in the matter; and, further, as the Macroom Rural District Council, at a meeting held on 26th April, 1924, has decided not to advertise for tenders for certain roads which were not scheduled for direct labour, but which were worked by direct labour during the past year, and has decided to recommend that these roads be done by direct labour for the coming year; whether steps will be taken to prevent the County Council turning down the recommendation of the Rural Council, as their doing so will mean that about eighty men will be denied the casual employment they have got during the past year.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - ROAD WORK IN MACROOM RURAL DISTRICT.
The answer to the first and second part of the question is in the affirmative, and the third part does not therefore arise.
The action of the Rural District Council is wholly illegal, and cannot therefore interfere as suggested by the Deputy.
Mr. MURPHY
Arising out of the Minister's answer, I desire to ask him if he is aware that under exactly similar circumstances within the last two years the County Council sanctioned the recommendations of the District Council, even where there was no scheduled system of direct labour in existence?
There is no direct labour scheme legally in force in this district at the present moment.
Mr. MURPHY
Can the Minister say whether the action of the County Council under similar circumstances for the past two years was illegal?
A different set of circumstances would arise if direct labour was legally in force, and such was the case for several years previously.
Mr. MURPHY
I think the Minister has not followed what I tried to say. I asked him was he aware that under exactly similar circumstances within the last two years the County Council sanctioned the recommendations of the District Council, even where there was no scheduled system of direct labour in existence.
I am not aware of these facts.