Is the President in a position to announce the names and the terms of reference of the Committee on Unemployment?
COMMITTEE ON UNEMPLOYMENT.
The following gentlemen, who have been invited to act upon the Committee which I undertook to set up to consider the further steps that could be taken for the immediate relief of unemployment, have been good enough to signify their willingness to serve:—Mr. Vincent Rice, B.A., K.C., Chairman, 2 Northbrook Road, Dublin; Mr. George H.C. Crampton, Hammersmith Works, Pembroke Road, Dublin; Senator Michael Duffy, 6 St. James Terrace, Malahide; Mr. T.W. Kenny, Editor, "Connaught Tribune," Galway; Mr. E.M. Murphy, B.E., M.I.C.E., 51 Northumberland Road, Dublin; Alderman Wm. O'Brien, Treasurer, Irish Transport and General Workers' Union, 35 Parnell Square, Dublin; Mr. John Quinn, Chairman, Meath County Council, Navan.
The Committee will also include a representative of the Department of Finance (Mr. Jas. Healy, Board of Works) and a representative of the Department of Local Government and Public Health (Mr. Denis J. Hickie). The terms of reference of the Committee will be
"To consider and report as to the steps that might be taken for the immediate relief of unemployment, regard being had on the one hand to the need for avoiding any undue strain on the resources of agriculture and industry, and on the other to the fact that the continued existence of abnormal unemployment involves in itself a severe economic loss."
Have any arrangements been made for the first meeting of the Committee?
No, I presume the Committee will meet very shortly.
Does the President not think it advisable that agriculture should be represented on this Committee in some form?
Mr. Quinn, Chairman of the Meath County Council is, I understand, an extensive agriculturist.
Is he not there in his capacity as Chairman of the County Council?
No.
I suggest that agriculture is not sufficiently represented, and that the Department of Agriculture might also be represented.
Might I ask the President, in view of the fact that the Provinces of Munster, Leinster and Connaught are represented, and that no Ulster representatives from the three Ulster counties in the Free State are on the Committee, will he give an assurance that he will pay attention to the unemployment problem that exists in those three counties?
The unemployment problem in those three counties does not differ materially from unemployment in other counties.