asked the Minister for Finance whether he is aware of the urgent necessity for the completion of repairs to the bog road in the townland of Currowross. Fleming estate, Curron, County Kerry, and if so, if he will sanction the necessary grant for the carrying through of the work at the earliest possible date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Road Repairs.
A grant was given two years ago for the improvement of portion of the passage into this bog. Representations have now been received, urging the necessity of extending the road further into the bog, and the proposal will be considered on its merits when next winter's programme of works in the area is being prepared.
asked the Minister for Finance whether he is aware of the deplorable condition of the road from the post office at Ballinamore Bridge, through Cornanantymore and Curradrum to Ryan's house on the Castleffrench-Ballyforan county road, Castleffrench E.D., Mountbellew R.D., County Galway, and, if so, if he is prepared to make available a minor relief grant for the repair of the road in the coming winter schemes.
An application for the repair of the road in question under the rural improvements scheme was received in January, 1946, and an offer was subsequently issued to the applicants' representative, but they were not prepared to pay the contribution required at the time. Since then the terms of the rural improvements scheme have been revised to help the owners of land of which the poor law valuation is low, and an amended offer under the new terms is now being issued to the applicants.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the road in question is not merely a village road—it is a bog road as well? My question is in relation to a minor employment grant for the relief of unemployment in the area as well as to the repair of the road. The Parliamentary Secretary is fairly well acquainted with the position there. It is a job which requires to be done.
For the Deputy's information, a grant under a minor employment scheme is not given for a bog road but where there are a sufficient number of registered unemployed to warrant it.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary say if an amended offer will be made in all cases under the rural improvement scheme where the beneficiaries were unable to accept because of the previous conditions attaching to the scheme?
Representations in several cases have been made to us in connection with the revised offer. As fast as they are received we are trying to deal with them. The Deputy must understand that it would be impossible at the moment to say if we are going over all the cases.
Am I to take it that in this case in Galway, as a result of the revision of the scheme, a renewed offer was made to the people concerned? What I want to ask the Parliamentary Secretary to indicate is that if that renewed offer could be made in that particular case, why could it not be made in all other cases where the people concerned were unable to proceed with the work because of the onerous conditions that previously attached to the scheme?
A new offer was made in this case because, since the revision terms, I received a letter from a Mr. John J. O'Connor on behalf of the applicants asking for a revised scheme.
Am I to take it that that letter that you received on that occasion was a very convenient letter?
Next question.
asked the Minister for Finance whether, in view of the number of displaced bog workers still unemployed in each electoral division in the rural districts of Tuam, Glenamaddy and Mountbellew, he will consider making an extra sum available from the Employment and Emergency Schemes Vote for the repair and reconstruction of the numerous village and bog roads in those areas which are now in a deplorable condition.
I find that the total number of males on the live register on the 24th June in the rural districts referred to was 126. These rural districts comprise 67 separate district electoral divisions (each of which is a unit of area for the purpose of providing relief works), so that the average number of registered unemployed in each is only two.
If the Deputy will indicate any electoral divisions in which he considers there is exceptional unemployment, I shall have further inquiries made.
In view of the fact that the Parliamentary Secretary is also a representative of North Galway, may I ask is he not in a position to investigate these areas himself and see whether extra grants might be made available?
I have had them investigated and, as I indicated in the reply, they work out at an average of two in each area. If the Deputy knows of any case of hardship, which I do not know of, and which I doubt he knows of either——
Does the Parliamentary Secretary seriously contend that he is personally aware that the average number in every district is confined to two, or is he not aware that there are a number of areas in North Galway, to which I referred here, where the live register shows there are a large number of unemployed, particularly around the Dunmore area?
How many—what is the number?
I submit that there are considerable numbers of displaced workers still unemployed in each electoral division.