asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state (a) the amount of grants applied for by Meath County Council under the Local Authorities (Works) Act in respect of the current year; (b) the amount sanctioned by his Department, and (c) the total number of workers expected to be employed on these schemes; and whether he will take steps to see that schemes are put into operation so as to relieve the widespread unemployment in County Meath.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Authorities (Works) Act Schemes.
Proposals under the Local Authorities (Works) Act submitted by the Meath County Council for the current financial year are estimated to cost in the aggregate £70,908.
Pending determination of the final grant for the county, an interim sum of £5,000 was allocated on the 28th ultimo for the execution of works under the Act in the present year.
No estimate of the number of men to be employed on these works could be given at this stage.
The council have been informed that the execution of their various works programmes should be timed so as not to interfere with agricultural or turf production in the area and so as to avoid undue seasonal fluctuations in the employment of labour. It is a matter for the local authority to arrange its programme of works accordingly.
Mr. Coburn
asked the Minister for Local Government whether he is now in a position to sanction the scheme as submitted by the Dundalk Urban District Council under the Local Authorities (Works) Act for the drainage of the Blackwater River, South Merches, Dundalk, County Louth.
The proposal submitted by the Dundalk Urban District Council under the Local Authorities (Works) Act for improvements on the Blackwater River involves several technical problems of a complex nature which have been the subject of discussions between my engineering inspectors and the town surveyor. I hope to be in a position to convey a decision to the council at an early date.