With regard to item A—payment to the Great Southern Railways under the Railways Act, 1924, of £48,688—I want to draw the attention of the Dáil to certain injustices perpetrated and unfair discrimination exerted as a result of the unification of the railway systems of the Saorstát. I know that certain officials were retired on pensions altogether out of proportion to the services rendered. But in addition to that, the unification brought about or resulted in the dismissal of many railway workers. The number mentioned by Deputy Davin is three thousand. I think that is an underestimate, if anything. Now for the information of those Deputies who do not understand the term, I may explain that "railway shopmen" means tradesmen, mechanics, and artisans. These railway shopmen in many cases, particularly in Cork, have, I know, been placed on half time, three-quarter time, and some of them on no time at all, because they have been dismissed. In many other cases the men were told they were redundant, and that in a very short time they also would be dismissed or placed on half time or three-quarter time. This has been one of the evils of the unification of the railway systems.
In Cork there was a very well equipped workshop, which drew from the various inspectors dealing with that department encomiums from time to time as to the skill and efficiency that entered into the construction of railway wagons and the other things required for the railway service. A committee set up in Cork proved to the satisfaction of some of the directors of the railway, and to the satisfaction of other business men, that there was no economy whatsoever in one of the results of unification, namely, the centralisation of most of their work in another place. It is, perhaps, one of the problems that will face this country at a later period in the course of its development, whether the continued centralisation of industry in one particular portion of the State would be advisable or would contribute to the progress of the country itself. So far as we in Cork are concerned, we have found that whilst this unification may have meant a certain amount of economy so far as the advocates of centralisation would lead us to believe, yet at the same time we find that the result in Cork has been very disastrous. Many of these men have been added to the unemployed list.
I now want to know from the Minister himself if he considers it wise economy that for the sake of some very small savings, perhaps, in the expenses of railway undertakings, a number of men shall be added to the unemployed list, and as a consequence have to draw unemployment benefit? I do not want to labour that point too long, but some things occurred in the course of this discussion which I certainly cannot allow to pass unchallenged. Deputy Davin, I think, drew attention to statements coming from the Farmers' benches from time to time. They would lead us to believe that they, alone, are the people who are carrying all the expenses of the management of this country on their shoulders. I challenge that assertion, and I think it is about time that we cried halt to this slogan from the Farmers that 75 per cent. of the cost of running this country——
