asked the Minister for the Environment (1) the total number of area engineers; and (2) the number of local authority road workers employed in each year since 1977.
Written Answers. - Local Authority Staff.
571.
My Department do not compile statistics on the number of engineers in the local authority service who are assigned duties on an area basis. The number of manual workers directly engaged in maintenance and improvement of public roads in each of the years 1977-84 is set out below.
Monthly Average for the Year 1977, 10,058; 1978, 10,882; 1979, 11,512; 1980, 10,951; 1981, 10,553; 1982, 10,092; 1983, 9,781; 1984, 9,326.
While figures for 1985 are not available it is estimated that the increased level of State expenditure on the roads programme will generate a substantial increase in employment. These figures represent the combined totals of direct-labour and contract workers. Separate figures for those employed by the local authorities are not available.