asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state (a) in how many cases have exemption orders been made under the Conditions of Employment Act, 1936; (b) the names of the industrial occupations in which such exemptions were made, and whether they were total or partial; and (c) if further exemptions are being considered, and how many.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Conditions of Employment Act, 1936.
It is presumed that the Deputy refers to exclusion orders made under Section 29 of the Act. Ten exclusion orders have been made in respect of the following forms of work:—jute manufacture; gas undertakings; women cleaners; railways; public service vehicles; electricity undertakings; maintenance of machinery and plant; boilermen and enginemen; bakeries; cotton and linen manufacture; tramways.
Exclusion regulations can be made for the purpose of all or any of the sections of Part III of the Act only. In no case has exclusion from the whole of Part III of the Act been made. For details of the regulations I would refer the Deputy to the copies which have already been laid before the House. The regulations in regard to tramways are being tabled to-day.
At the moment, approximately 22 applications for exclusion regulations are under consideration.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether it is intended to require employers to affix national health insurance and unemployment stamps to an employee's cards for the period of annual leave under the Conditions of Employment Act, 1936.
Where payments during, or in respect of, holidays or sickness are understood to be, or customarily form, part of the terms of service, contributions under the Unemployment Insurance Acts continue to be payable during the period of holidays or sickness. This was the rule prior to the coming into operation of the Conditions of Employment Act and that Act does not affect it. Where under the provisions of the Conditions of Employment Act, employees are entitled to annual leave with pay, their employers are required to pay contributions under the Unemployment Insurance Acts in respect of the period of such leave.
The position of employers in regard to payment of contributions in respect of periods of annual leave or sickness is understood to be the same under both the Unemployment Insurance Acts and National Health Insurance Acts, but questions regarding the effect of the latter Acts should be addressed to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health.