asked the Minister for Local Government the amount paid as incentive bonus to housing inspectors in the months of June and July in 1971, 1972 and 1973.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing Inspectors' Bonus.
17.
No bonus payment was made in June, 1971 or 1972. A total of £2,075 was paid in June, 1973. Total payments in the month of July amounted to £829, £40 and £3,615 in 1971, 1972 and 1973, respectively.
Was the exceptional sum paid in June and July, 1973, indicative of the efforts of housing inspectors to list houses as having been completed which in actual fact had been completed and lived in, sometimes months and years before that? Did this not arise out of an effort to increase the number of completions for the year through special bonuses being given to inspectors to tour the country seeking homes in respect of which £10 to £15 had been withheld from the final payments awaiting some minor jobs to be done, although the houses had been lived in for two or three years?
The Deputy is making a speech now.
These jobs that were required, and which caused the withholding of small sums of the grant, were waived, the final small sums were paid and these houses were included in the list of 25,000 houses to create an artificial figure of completions.
Deputy Molloy is completely incorrect in the statement he is making. To prove it, let me say that in October, 1971, there was £3,220 paid; in November, 1971, £2,799 was paid. Perhaps he would care to explain that one away, if the explanation is as he gives it.
Question No. 18.
Would the Minister explain his own figures?
I have given the figures and it is not my fault if Deputy Colley does not understand them.
The Minister has given figures, but he has not explained them. Would he explain them, please?
Can I take it that Deputy Colley does not understand that if there was a sum of £3,615 paid in July, 1973, and a sum of £3,220 paid in October, 1971, and £2,799 paid in November, 1971, that the argument which Deputy Molloy has just put up could not be correct?
I did not ask the Minister about Deputy Molloy's argument. I asked him if he would explain the figures he has given to the House. Would he please do so?
If Deputy Colley does not understand them, I do not propose to explain them.
Next question. Question No. 18.
Can we get a reply from the Minister? The Minister has not answered my question.
That is not a question. It is a stupid comment by somebody who does not understand what he is talking about.
Question No. 18.