asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether an application for a grant to relieve unemployment locally was received some months ago from the Clonakilty (County Cork) Urban Council, and whether any decision has yet been reached on the application; whether he is aware that over one hundred employees of the Muckross Barytes Company are now unemployed in the urban area, and whether, seeing that acute poverty exists in the urban area, the application will now be favourably considered.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - RELIEVING UNEMPLOYMENT AT CLONAKILTY.
TOMAS MAC EOIN (for Tadhg O Murchadha)
The answer to the first and second parts of the question is in the affirmative. I have no definite particulars regarding the number of men affected by the closing of the Barytes Mines which were, I understand, shut down over 15 months ago, but the Council's application was investigated, and I was satisfied that unemployment in Clonakilty was not abnormal. As the funds provided by the Relief Schemes Votes have long since been fully allocated, it is regretted that the application cannot be entertained.
Would the Minister give us an indication of what he thinks was normal unemployment in Clonakilty?
I have to depend on the reports of my inspectors for that.