asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware of the general discontent among people in West Cork normally employed by the county council concerning the present lack of employment; and, if so, if he will state what proposals he has in mind to alleviate the position.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment Position in West Cork.
I am not aware that the position is as represented by the Deputy. The council has been notified of the increased road grants which are available for work in the current financial year and it is hoped to notify at an early date an interim allocation of moneys for Works Act schemes. The arrangement of the employment programme for these and other works programmes is a matter for the county council.
The county council engineers say that they have not the money. Could the Minister not take some steps to sanction the grants so that the money can be made available to the county council and also the grants under the Local Authorities (Works) Act?
They have been notified, of course, of the grants from the Road Fund long ago.
They claim that they have not yet been notified of the grants under the Local Authorities (Works) Act.
They are entitled so to claim but they have been notified of the grants which would enable them to have a roads programme.
Could the Minister say when the grants under the Local Authorities (Works) Act will be made available?
I have told the Deputy that it is my intention to notify at an early date an interim allocation of moneys for Works Act schemes but, having regard to the fact that this is a period of the year when work of different types is available, I take it that the county council, even if these grants were notified, might not proceed to spend them at this season of the year.
Does the Minister not think that this time of the year is more suitable for drainage works and that the Road Fund money could be more suitably spent at a time of the year when the weather is not so good?
I might consider that, but there is a number of other works in progress at this particular time of the year that are important also.