asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state the amounts allocated to Mayo County Council under the Local Authorities (Works) Act in the financial years 1949-1950, 1950-1951 and 1951-1952.

The grants allocated to Mayo County Council for the execution of approved works under the Local Authorities (Works) Act are as follows:—

asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state the number and estimated cost of proposals submitted under the Local Authorities (Works) Act, 1949, by the County Councils of Kerry, Donegal, Galway, Mayo and Leitrim, for the year ended 31st March, 1951, and for the current year and the total amount allocated to each of these county councils for the periods mentioned.

As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose with your permission, a Chinn Chomhairle, to circulate it with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:—

LOCAL AUTHORITIES (WORKS) ACT, 1949

NOTE:—In addition to the grant allocations shown above a special allocation of £1,000 was made available in each year to each county council for the execution of works ancillary to operations under the land rehabilitation project. Operations under this allocation are excluded from the above statistics.

asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state the sum (a) sanctioned and (b) allotted to each county council for expending under the Local Authorities (Works) Act and (c) the amount expended to date by each county council.

As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose with your permission, a Chinn Chomhairle, to circulate it with the Official Report.

The following is the statement:—

LOCAL AUTHORITIES (WORKS) ACT, 1949.

(a) Provision in Department's Vote 1951/52 for grants to local authorities— £1,220,000.

(b) and (c) Grants allocated to county councils in 1951/52 and expenditure to 30/9/51.

NOTES:

(1) The period to 30th September, 1951, is the latest for which particulars of expenditure are available.

(2) In addition to the grant allocations shown above a special allocation of £1,000 has been made available to each county council for the execution of works ancillary to operations under the land rehabilitation project. The special allocation in the case of Cork County Council was £3,000.

Would the Minister oblige by giving the Mayo figures?

I have given the figures for Mayo to Deputy P. Browne.

I asked for different figures.

I will read the whole document if the Deputy wishes.

No, I do not want you to do that. If the figures I require are not conveniently available, do not bother.

The Deputy can ask for further information if he is not satisfied with the information contained here.

asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state why the grant for the Cork County Council under the Local Authorities (Works) Act was cut by £45,000 this year.

As the Deputy is aware, the amount provided in the Local Government Vote for grants to local authorities for works under the Local Authority (Works) Act in the current financial year is £1,220,000 as against £1,750,000 in the year ended 31st March, 1951. That represents a reduction of somewhat more than 30 per cent. The allocation to the Cork County Council in the current year is £105,000 as against £150,000 last year. That represents a reduction of exactly 30 per cent.

And it represents part of the Fianna Fáil policy to create unemployment.

No, it represents the Estimates your Government provided me with in this House.

It is part of the Fianna Fáil policy to create unemployment in Ireland. Well done, Fianna Fáil.