asked the Minister for Local Government if he is now in a position to state the date on which the local authority elections will be held.
26.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Elections.
25.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he is yet in a position to announce the date on which local elections, due to be held in June, 1965, will be held.
27.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he has now decided upon what date to hold the local elections; and the reason for the delay in making a decision.
I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 25, 26 and 27 together.
I am not yet in a position to say when local elections will be held. The question of delay in taking a decision does not arise.
He is waiting until the recess to announce this at a Fianna Fáil meeting. Are you not?
I should add that an announcement at an early date may be anticipated.
Surely this question has been raised on many occasions since Christmas? Apart from the way in which the whole question seems to have been approached by members of the Fianna Fáil Party and the Government, does the Minister not see that the ratepayers are all concerned as to whether or not the local elections will be held? A decision should now be made by the Minister before the Dáil goes into recess. There is a strong rumour to the effect that the Fianna Fáil Party decided by an overwhelming majority to postpone the elections until next year. I should like to know whether this is a matter of political expediency. Is there no concern for the public?
I said three weeks ago that I would give an answer within a month.
That is the reason I put down the question for today. I wanted to give the Minister the full month. It was four weeks ago the Minister said that and he promised a decision then after a month.
Would the Minister give the result of the Fianna Fáil Party meeting to adjourn the local elections until next year?
Would the Minister say why he and his colleagues are afraid of the local elections in 1966?
They do not want to have two defeats in one year.
They want to wait for the results of the Presidential election.
(Cavan): Arising out of the Minister's reply, it is quite apparent that he is going to announce this decision within a week and it is therefore obvious that he knows the decision now. Can he tell the House why he will not tell the House now, before it adjourns for a month?
In reply to Deputy L'Estrange, who is seeking the result of votes of the Fianna Fáil Party, I would say that I would be happy to give it to him, and believe me, I will, if in return he gives us the very close decision taken by the Fine Gael Party when they selected their Presidential candidate.
Unanimous—it was unanimous. It will be victorious as well. That is what is annoying you. You are afraid of two defeats in the one year.
We are away ahead of you now.
Deputy Corish.
What is the difficulty? Will the Minister give the decision before the resumption of the Dáil?
Yes, I think so.
Discourtesy to the House. That is all that is wrong. Discourtesy to the Dáil and then they are looking for the co-operation of the people.
Then what is the delay in giving us this decision? What excuse is there or what is the difficulty?
Discourtesy to the House.
I have already answered the question in the last part of the reply, that there was not any reason, so that the question of delay does not arise.
Would the Minister say what factors are involved in the consideration of this?
Political expediency—Tammany Hall methods.
Would the Minister repeat what he said in that reply?
I have not got it at my hand.
You do not know what you said a month ago.
Does the Deputy always know what he said a month or so before?
Will you conduct a public inquiry?
There seems to be a public inquiry being conducted here at the moment.
That is what this House is for—public inquiry.
I have answered the question.
Would the Minister say whether he has seen that certain local authorities have deleted the amount allocated to local election expenditure for the coming year——
Even the Taoiseach saw that.
——and if so, whether he has sanctioned this or has communicated with them?
On the proposition of Fianna Fáil councillors.
If a local authority fail to provide money for services during the year——
They do not know. You will not tell them.
——this is a serious loss to the public, and I can tell you and the public that the Minister for Local Government has certain steps which he must take. When that arises, I will take them.
Does this mean that the Minister, in the event of the local elections being held, will surcharge those members of local councils who voted for the deletion of the figure?
At what cumann meeting will you answer this? Why not announce it now?
I will announce it in County Wexford.
That is the only reason you were down there. I hope you will be able to patch it up down there.
Will you patch up the split in the Cabinet?