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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Aug 1921

Vol. S No. 6

ESTIMATE FOR LABOUR DEPARTMENT

said the total estimate for the Labour Department for coming six months was £7,300 which was based altogether on the expenditure of the last half-year.

Particulars were as follows:—

First of all Labour Department proper: salaries £514, minister's salary £250, stationery and postage £120, office rent etc. £60, Extra expense £300—making £1,244. In Boycott Department there were organisers' salaries £1,794, clerks, typists, and messengers for the five offices £689, Volunteer boycott patrol in Dublin £819, advertisements £650. Then there was provision in here for £1,500 for a permanent trade exhibition in Dublin which he thought should be struck out as it had been since taken over by Trade and Commerce Department. Stationery and Postage £260 and sundry expenses of £344 making a total of £6,056 which would make in all a total of £7,300.

He would ask that the item £1,500 be struck out which would leave his estimate £5,800. At the time the estimate was made out he was not in a position to find out if that item was included by the Minister of Trade and Commerce.

asked would it be necessary to continue the organisers. He did not think they accomplished very much.

said he thought they got very good value for the money spent on the organisers. The Boycott had fallen very flat until the organisers were appointed.

MINISTER

replied that originally 12 organisers were appointed but since the committees were fully formed the number had been cut down to eight or nine at the present moment. He did not intend to employ more than the present number but he thought it was absolutely essential that that number should be kept on the road. They covered considerable areas with the object of keeping the Boycott Committees working actively. The Volunteers had enough to do without looking after the Boycott and they were only called in when drastic action had to be taken. The spade work would have to be done by the committees. Only for the organisers the Boycott would be a very dead affair as the committees originally set up had ceased to exist but the new committees were pretty generally active and, if it were not for the Truce, Belfast would be in a much worse condition than she was at present.

said there was very little done before the organisers came on the road. Since then there was a wonderful improvement.

SPEAKER

said the original estimate of £7,300 was now reduced to £5,800 and that the Dáil would pass on to the estimate for Trade and Commerce Department.

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