asked the Minister for Finance whether he is aware that great hardship is at present being experienced by many men and their dependants in the Raphoe (County Donegal) area, due to a prolonged period of unemployment; and whether he will arrange for relief work to be commenced in that district in order to provide much-needed assistance.

I have no information bearing on the suggestion conveyed in the first part of this question. With regard to the second part, I may say that approximately £17,000 has already been allocated for expenditure on relief works in Donegal by the various Departments responsible for the supervision of expenditure from the Relief Schemes Vote. In addition, a sum of £4,200 has been allocated from the Road Improvement Grant for expenditure in the Raphoe area, and this work is at present in progress. I regret that I cannot make any provision for further relief works in this area.

The Minister says that he is not aware of the amount of unemployment existing in Raphoe area. My question was handed in on Monday last. Has his Department made any particular inquiries with regard to the unemployment existing in Raphoe since then?

I have not.

Notwithstanding the figures that the Minister has given us, a lot of unemployment exists there, and I suggest that it is the duty of the Minister to release some moneys for relief schemes which would give employment in that area.