asked the Minister for Local Government if the County Manager for North Tipperary recently told the members of his council that he would not submit for sanction of his Department a decision of the majority of the council to grant an increase of wages to road workers; whether the minutes of the meeting sent to his Department contain such a statement, and if he will now state what action he has taken or proposes taking in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Road Workers' Wages.
I have no function in connection with the remuneration of local servants save in relation to a proposal to increase it and no such proposal has been submitted to me in this instance.
Would the Minister answer the question, particularly that part which asks whether he has in the minutes received in his Department any evidence that the County Manager for North Tipperary recently told the members of his council that he would not submit for sanction of the Department a decision of the majority of the council to grant an increase of wages to rural workers? I have asked that question and am entitled to an answer.
Councils do not now submit the minutes of meetings to the Department as they used to do in years gone by.
Has the Minister made any inquiries since the question went in whether the statement in the question was a fact?
The Minister's only function is to examine proposals when they are submitted to him in the proper form and there is no suggestion that a proposal has come to me from the county council in question.
I have asked the Minister specifically whether he is aware that this is a fact and if he is not aware he should have inquired into it. It is printed in black type in the local papers—apart from any other aspect of it—that the county manager, the servant of the ratepayers of the area, publicly stated that he declined to submit a recommendation of the county council to the Minister. Has the Minister made inquiries?
County managers' duties in that regard are defined by law. Naturally, he has to discharge these duties in the manner prescribed. I am, of course, aware that county councils pass resolutions on all kinds of matters, the dance tax, the budgetary proposals and so on, but these resolutions do not come before me for my comment as Minister for Local Government.
Is the Minister not obliged as a matter of courtesy rather than of duty to answer a specific question for which reasonable notice has been given? I gave very reasonable notice of this question and I am certain that the Department made inquiries. Will he answer it? Will he admit, even if he does not answer, that this is evidence of conflict between the manager and the county council as to his duties and responsibilities?
I have no responsibility, as Minister, to examine the proposals that come before a county council in the form of resolution on one subject or another. My responsibility as Minister is to examine any proposal by a local authority to increase the remuneration paid to its workers. When that proposal comes before me, I, as Minister, have either to approve or disapprove of it. I am not trying to avoid any of these responsibilities, I assure the Deputy.
Is there not an obligation on the Minister to see that the county manager carries out his duties?