asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether the labour section of his Department has had under consideration during the last 12 months any proposals for dealing with unemployment likely to arise out of a war situation; and whether he will state whether any plans have been prepared, and if it is his intention to put any such plans into operation or to set up any special section of his Department to deal with unemployment caused by the present situation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - War and Unemployment.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state what has been done by his Department to deal with unemployment in Éire arising out of the war in Europe; what proposals are at present under consideration, and whether he has consulted or proposes to consult producers, farmers, manufacturers and others giving or capable of affording employment, with a view to extending the numbers employed and/or lessening unemployment.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether any inquiry has been made into the employment groups in which serious unemployment has developed since the 1st September, 1939; what these groups are, and the approximate number of persons dis- employed in each group: and whether it is intended to prepare plans for their reabsorption into employment.
Questions Nos. 17, 18, and 19 relate to the same problem, and it is convenient to give a comprehensive answer covering all.
I should, perhaps, begin by pointing out, with particular reference to question No. 17, that there is no division or section in the Department of Industry and Commerce which can be described as a "labour section" in the sense that its primary purpose is to consider proposals for dealing with unemployment rather than the promotion and development of trade and industry. The functions of the Department in relation to employment as prescribed by the Ministers and Secretaries Acts are discharged by three principal branches each dealing with the particular but cognate services which those functions involve. The branches in question are:—
(a) The Trade and Industries Branch of the Department, which has as its principal responsibility the extension and maintenance of normal employment in industry and the establishment, where possible, of new industries to provide further normal employment. The activities of this branch may perhaps be indicated by the fact that the occupational census taken in 1936 showed that at the date thereof the total number of persons engaged in gainful occupations other than agriculture increased by over 60,000, of whom 37,000 were males, as compared with 1926.
(b) The Employment Branch which is responsible for the general management of the Employment Exchanges and for the administration of the Unemployment Insurance and Assistance Acts. The Employment Branch also in collaboration with the Statistics Branch prepare the statistics relating to unemployment. I am circulating a table showing by employment groups, the unemployment which has developed since 1st September, 1930.
(c) The Transport and Marine Branch which is concerned mainly with the administration of the statutory measures designed to facilitate and secure the maintenance of the most satisfactory transport services practicable, including shipping.
Since the outbreak of war this branch has been concerned mainly with such serious interruptions of shipping services as recently affected all Irish-registered ships trading abroad, particularly those of first importance to the agricultural export industry. Many difficulties arising out of our position as a neutral State were involved. I am glad to say these have been so adjusted that the services have been resumed.
I should add that, as in the case of manufacturing industry generally, satisfactory maintenance of transport services in any form will depend on the extent to which fuel and other essential supplies and services remain available.
With regard to the general work of the trade and industries branch and, in particular, in relation to the maintenance and extension of normal employment in industry, I would say that a survey of our industrial activities undertaken so far back as the summer of 1938 by the then Minister for Industry and Commerce, my colleague the Minister for Supplies, disclosed that such unemployment as would be occasioned here by a major war in Europe would be due mainly to interruption in the overseas supply of raw and partly finished materials, fuel, machinery, and mechanical replacements and stores. Since that time, the Department of Industry and Commerce —in consultation with the representatives of our principal industries—has endeavoured by every means in its power to ensure that the largest practicable stocks of materials and machinery would be built up here so as to be available in such a situation as we are now facing. This work was carried out by a special Emergency Supplies Branch of the Department created in 1938, which has been used as the basis of the new Department of Supplies, now brought into being to deal with the intricate and difficult problem of maintaining as far as practicable supplies of both finished commodities and the materials of industry.
My Department has at present under examination certain projects which would, probably, have materialised in normal conditions. It will be understood, however, that with regard to many of these it may not be possible to overcome difficulties, such as I have already mentioned. The Dáil may rest assured that every possibility will be exhaustively examined in an effort to avoid the abandonment of industrial plans which might provide new employment.
The following is the table:—
NUMBER ON THE LIVE REGISTER IN EACH INDUSTRIAL GROUP AT 18th SEPTEMBER, 1939.
|
INDUSTRIAL GROUP |
Live Register 18th September, 1939 |
Change (+ Increase – Decrease) since |
|||
|
21st Aug. 1939 |
19th Sept., 1938 |
||||
|
Food |
2,209 |
+ |
3 |
– |
184 |
|
Drink |
656 |
– |
11 |
+ |
93 |
|
Tobacco |
106 |
– |
10 |
– |
23 |
|
Textiles |
1,148 |
+ |
145 |
– |
380 |
|
Clothing |
2,466 |
+ |
144 |
– |
64 |
|
Skins and Leather, Rubber and Waterproof Goods |
191 |
+ |
2 |
– |
54 |
|
Woodworking, Furniture and Fittings |
912 |
+ |
16 |
+ |
30 |
|
Metal Manufactures and Engineering |
1,550 |
+ |
13 |
+ |
228 |
|
Vehicles |
1,319 |
+ |
264 |
+ |
16 |
|
Fertilizers, Chemicals, Paints, etc. |
366 |
– |
15 |
+ |
29 |
|
Papermaking, Stationery, Printing and Bookbinding |
672 |
+ |
56 |
+ |
96 |
|
Mining and Quarrying |
392 |
– |
23 |
– |
23 |
|
Bricks, Artificial Building Materials, Pottery and Glass (1) |
700 |
+ |
342 |
+ |
383 |
|
Building, Contracting and Works of Construction |
23,489 |
+ |
1,220 |
+ |
3,006 |
|
Gas, Electricity and Water |
392 |
+ |
34 |
+ |
25 |
|
Transport and Communication (2) |
5,239 |
+ |
175 |
+ |
448 |
|
Distributive Trades |
7,250 |
– |
138 |
+ |
261 |
|
Finance |
635 |
+ |
134 |
+ |
354 |
|
Public Administration |
1,581 |
– |
56 |
– |
1 |
|
Professions |
449 |
+ |
63 |
+ |
83 |
|
Personal Services |
3,476 |
+ |
558 |
+ |
494 |
|
Entertainments and Sports |
669 |
+ |
164 |
+ |
235 |
|
Other Industries or Services |
870 |
– |
23 |
– |
78 |
|
Agriculture |
17,529 |
– |
1,151 |
1,224 |
|
|
Fishing |
454 |
+ |
3 |
– |
47 |
|
Unspecified |
1,065 |
+ |
106 |
+ |
30 |
|
TOTAL |
75,785 |
+ |
4,317 |
+ |
6,181 |
(1) (a) The overhaul of machinery at Arklow Pottery Works is mainly responsible, and it is hoped that resumption of work in the pottery will take place shortly.
(b) Breakdown of machinery at Carraline Pottery.
(2) (a) Seamen's strikes and resulting unemployment of workers.
(b) General war conditions and sailings not normal.
Is the Minister aware that in the motor industry, in building, and in other directions, there has been a considerable amount of unemployment since the outbreak of war, and will he see if any special plans are being reviewed by his Department with a view to considering how these people can be reabsorbed into employment?
Every proposal which seems to afford the possibility of employment is being intensively examined at present, with a view to seeing how far those who have been displaced by the interruption of supplies can be put into alternative employment. As I stated quite frankly in relation to industrial employment, the whole thing depends on our ability to maintain supplies of raw material, machinery and replacements, and until that problem has been satisfactorily solved, I cannot say that it is possible to provide employment for people who have been displaced.
On the assumption that there will be a certain amount of difficulty in the next two or three months in getting these supplies, does the Minister hold out any hope that any kind of scheme will be evolved for putting these people into employment and does the Minister see the necessity for trying to get some sort of plan so that skilled and qualified people may not be scattered into all directions or may, in fact, be forced through economic pressure to leave this country?