asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of (1) men, (2) women, (3) boys and (4) girls discharged as a result of the closing down of Messrs. Gallaher's tobacco factory for whom employment has been found by him in industrial employment and what proportion such total is of the total number so discharged.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Closing of Gallaher's Factory.
Precise information regarding the number of the ex-employees of the Gallaher firm who have become re-employed is not available. 58 men, 17 boys, 100 women and 88 girls were discharged from the firm's employment and of these only 29 men, 6 boys, 70 women and 12 girls are now registered at the Employment Exchange or otherwise known to be unemployed. These figures indicate that about 50% of the men, 65% of the boys, 30% of the women and 86% of of the girls in question are again employed. The numbers whose passage into other employment is definitely recorded at the Employment Exchange are 8 men, 2 boys, 12 women and 13 girls, representing as percentages of those discharged 14 for men, 12 for boys, 12 for women and 15 for girls.
What were the other employments they passed into, to which the Minister referred?
I did not refer to any others.
The last part of the question!
That is an indication of the number of persons whose passing into employment is definitely recorded at the Exchange.
"Other employment."
Available.
It would not be Government employment.
I did not say that.
Do I understand that the Minister has no information at all as to the late employees of Gallaher's who through his operations have been put back into employment?
The answer to the question was the precise information that was available but, as I explained, the employees of the firm registered as unemployed at the Exchange or known by other means to be unemployed is set out in the question.
The interpretation the Minister has put on it is that the people who are not registered have gone into employment.
Yes.
They are all employed?
As far as my Department is able to ascertain they are employed or in any case not seeking employment.
Would it be correct to say that some of the employees of Messrs. Gallaher's who went to the Employment Exchange were offered employment at 5/-weekly?
The instructions given to the Exchanges were in accordance with the promise made to the Dáil that first offers of any employment would be given to the ex-employees of this firm. For any vacancies that were notified an attempt was made to fill them by ex-employees of Gallahers.
Why was that preference given to Messrs. Gallaher's employees? Was it because the Minister had them on his conscience?
Well, I have a conscience.