I should like to correct a few figures the Minister gave on the last occasion, particularly for the benefit of Deputy Dolan from Cavan who allowed himself to be codded by the Minister on that occasion. In reply to the Second Stage debate, the Minister gave certain figures at column 2247 of the Official Report, of grants outstanding at the date when Fianna Fáil came into office on 10th March, 1957. He was wrong in that date because it was 22nd March, I think. However, that does not matter.
It was perfectly clear to anyone who knew the facts that the grants to which he was referring were those given in the ordinary way in relation to conduit pipes. I put down a question to the Minister asking him to give the figures for similar areas, similar dates and under similar headings, which he purported to give on 12th July. He told the House that he had not got the figures in question and that to extract them from the records would take an amount of time which he was not prepared to expend. I accept that it would take time to extract them under the various headings.
In the absence of that extraction, we have ready to our hands a very simple method of comparison: the table published every week in Irish Oifigiúil of issues from the Local Loans Fund. The issues from the Local Loans Fund would be the total issues, and as the Minister would not produce the information in reply to the question, I cannot give the individual breakdown. Let me put the facts on record in relation to the moneys spent or, shall I say, the moneys paid — because “spent” might mean expended in another way—out of the Local Loans Fund during the various years for the same period of each year as was announced by the Minister.
The House is aware, of course, that both in relation to private individual housing grants and Local Loans Fund issues, the local authority issues the best information that can be given in the absence of a reply to my question. I do not suggest that the Minister was wrong in saying it would take a long time. I know it would take a lot of time to get those figures.
I have taken the date as near as I can on each occasion to the date the Minister gave, 10th March, 1959. From 1st April, 1953, to 13th March, 1954, the amount paid by the Government out of the Local Loans Fund was £7,450,000. From 1st April, 1954, to 12th March, 1955, the amount paid by the Government was £6,400,000. From 1st April, 1955, to 10th March, 1956, the amount paid by the Government was £6,350,000. From 1st April, 1956, to 9th March, 1957, the amount paid, when certain Deputies alleged nothing was paid, was £8,550,000. That is the date chosen by the Minister himself.