asked the Minister for Finance the number and total estimated cost of schemes sanctioned which have arisen out of the invitation of the Taoiseach and the Minister for Local Government to local authorities to submit schemes of economic merit.
21.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Schemes of Economic Merit.
20.
asked the Minister for Finance what schemes submitted by local authorities in reply to the invitation of the Taoiseach and the Minister for Local Government as schemes of economic merit have been adopted or approved.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 21 together.
The general position regarding local authority proposals was explained in my reply to a Parliamentary Question on 18th May last.
I then indicated that a large number of the specific proposals related to schemes such as roads, water supplies and sanitary services which were of a social rather than an economic nature and would be considered by the Department of Local Government in the normal exercise of its functions. As the Deputies will be aware, a decision to extend generally the scope of State grants and other financial facilities for water and sanitary schemes has been announced by the Minister for Local Government. It is not considered necessary to keep a record of action in individual cases.
Proposals in relation to tourism and the processing of fruit, vegetables and fish are being followed up. In the case of tourism the issues raised are not confined to the local authority sphere and are being considered in the context of a general review by the official bodies concerned of possibilities of further development. Various possibilities in relation to food processing are under active consideration; they lie mainly in the field of private and semi-State enterprise.
Individual replies have been sent to all local authorities which submitted suggestions.
I take it it would be unfair to say that, stripped of all that verbiage, no scheme has been sanctioned by the Minister—that arising out of the invitation by the Taoiseach to the local authorities no scheme has been sanctioned?
If the Deputy wants to be unfair I think he has succeeded.
The Minister said no scheme of an economic nature was submitted. Would he give an example of such a scheme?
I said all these schemes relating to roads, sewerage, and so on, are not economic schemes.
What sort of scheme did the Minister or the Taoiseach expect to get from the local authorities that would be of an economic nature?
A lot of the schemes submitted were of an economic nature.
Were they approved?
They are under consideration.
It is a stunt.
The Minister was really buying time and it worked well. He is a skilful worker.
It was the Taoiseach, not the Minister.