asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state what progress has been made with his scheme for the expenditure of £3,800,000 upon the construction of 1,500 miles of National highways as explained by him in the Dáil in July, 1925, and how many men have received employment to date in carrying the scheme through.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - NATIONAL HIGHWAYS SCHEME.
The scheme referred to has not matured. It is hoped that an announcement may be possible shortly on the conclusion of discussions which have been proceeding between my Department and the Department of Industry and Commerce.
Can the Minister say whether the Minister for Finance has approved of his scheme as presented to the Dáil? At that time the Minister said that it depended upon the judgment of the Minister for Finance.
I said at the time, I believe, that two other Ministers were concerned—the Minister for Industry and Commerce and the Minister for Finance. It has not been approved of up to the present by the Minister for Finance.
Is the Minister aware that the making of this statement at the time created the hope amongst many of the unemployed that they were going to get employment, and that many of the unemployed are anxiously waiting to hear from the Government when they intend to put this scheme into operation if they are going to put it into force at all? Does the Minister consider that it is fair or right to be raising false hopes in the unemployed by announcing schemes which apparently, the Government have no immediate intention of putting into operation?
The Minister was very reluctant to make the declaration in question. It was only done upon repeated requests from the Labour Party as to what was the view of my Department at the time. I took very good care to inform the Dáil that the decision did not rest solely with me, and that I merely presented the case from the point of view of one Department— that the other Departments concerned had not had an opportunity to consider it.
Can the Minister say whether the Minister for Industry and Commerce has approved of the scheme, apart from the Minister for Finance?
He is at present considering it in conjunction with the officials of my Department.
I should like to be quite clear as to this. Am I to understand that the scheme, as propounded by the Department of Local Government is now before the Department of Industry and Commerce, and that they have agreed it would then be presented to the Department of Finance, or has the scheme been presented to the Department of Finance by the Department of Local Government, turned down by the Department of Finance, and then presented to the Department of Industry and Commerce for a revised scheme?
The scheme has not been turned down by the Minister for Finance. It has been presented to him, and there it ends so far as I am concerned.
Can the Minister say when it was presented to the Minister for Finance, and how long it has been under consideration?
I could not answer that question without notice.
It had been presented at the time the Minister made the statement in July last?
Yes, or very shortly afterwards.