Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I agree with Deputy Wall that it is a great scheme. Perhaps some of the funding the local authorities get should be diverted to the rural social scheme. In some cases they are doing better work than the local authorities. Perhaps the Minister might discuss that with his colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, so local authority schemes have their funding put into the rural social scheme, which is then given more authority to do work that local councils do not do.

The opening of drains is damaging more roads. This is very simple work that local authorities cannot do. It would save the taxpayer a fortune if those on the scheme were let do this.

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