asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he is aware that eight employees of the Ennis Urban District Council have been dismissed by the Commissioner to whom his Department has transferred the powers, etc., of that dissolved Urban District Council; that the Department of Industry and Commerce granted a certificate of exception from unemployment insurance to the Ennis Urban District Council in respect of scavengers, roadmen, etc., on the statement of that Council that these employees were permanently employed, and would not be dismissed unless they were guilty of misconduct, neglect in the performance of, or unfitness to perform, their duties; if his Department has a copy of the proceedings of that Council at which these reasons for exception were outlined, and if his Department investigated then the accuracy of such statements, and if it will investigate them now in view of the dismissal by his Commissioner of eight of the Council's employees.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - ENNIS U.D.C. EMPLOYEES.
I understand that the Deputy is correct in his statement in the first and second parts of the question, but I have no official information on the subject beyond that contained in the answer given to the Deputy on the 29th ultimo by the Minister for Industry and Commerce. No copy of the minutes of proceedings of the Ennis Urban District Council relating to the matter were furnished to my Department, and consequently no opportunity was afforded the Department to investigate the Council's statement. I do not see what purpose can be served by an investigation now.
Does the Minister not consider that the dismissal of eight men by an authority under his control—directly under his control now —is a matter that should be investigated, seeing they were exempted from unemployment insurance by the Minister for Industry and Commerce on the expressed statement of the Ennis Urban Council that they could not be dismissed except by reason of incompetence, inefficiency or misconduct?
In this matter the Commissioner is in exactly the same position as the Council he succeeds, and I have no more right to interfere with his jurisdiction than I had with the preceding Council.