asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state why the wages of men engaged by the Forestry Department at planting trees in the area of Curracloe, County Wexford, have been fixed as low as 23/-per week, whilst men engaged at similar work in the same county are paid at the rate of 28/- per week.
Ceisteanna.—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tree Planters' Wages.
Mr. Hogan
The men at present engaged on State forestry work at Curracloe are paid from moneys allocated from the Vote for the Relief of Unemployment. The work has been put in hand solely for the purpose of relieving unemployment, and would not normally have been undertaken this season. The wages paid are approximately the average agricultural rate for the county, and the men were given to understand that they were being engaged only as a relief measure, and that the Department had no wish to retain them if they could obtain work elsewhere. The wages paid at the other forest centres in the county, where non-relief work is proceeding in the normal course, are at present 27/- a week.