asked the Minister for Finance whether he is now in a position to reveal his proposals for the provision of employment for the growing number of unemployed persons whose plight has been aggravated by a rapid increase in the cost of living and inadequate or no means of sustenance from State funds.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Providing Work for Unemployed.
No. This will be done as soon as possible.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary say whether in view of the urgency of the problem and the growing number of unemployed, it is possible for him to indicate in point of time what the phrase "as soon as possible" means?
It is not accepted that there is at present a growing number of unemployed, nor is it accepted that the unemployment position at the moment is relatively worse than last year. The actual figures are 13,000 to 15,000 lower, even taking unemployment plus artificial employment, but so far as the provision of means to deal with the unemployment as it exists is concerned, that is being urgently looked into. The Deputy may take it that that is being fully investigated.
May I put this consideration to the Parliamentary Secretary: a very large number of skilled craftsmen are leaving this country every day and every week for Britain and Belfast in order to secure employment? If the Parliamentary Secretary has any doubts in regard to that, will he consult the Great Northern Railway Company and ascertain the number of single tickets to Belfast issued by them and particularly for the excursion trains on Saturdays? Maybe he would then convince himself of the necessity for introducing these proposals as soon as possible.
I am extremely interested in the point the Deputy raises. I am trying to get information of that kind and any information which the Deputy can get for me in the matter, I shall be very glad to have. There are definite limitations to the amount and accuracy of the information available and the Deputy, through trade unions or like organisations, may be able to get certain information which up to the present I have not been able to find. I am definitely interested in finding the precise facts in this matter and any help I can get in that matter, I should like to have.
May I suggest, because this is a very important national matter, that the Parliamentary Secretary might well ask the trade unions for statistics? If he does, he will find that quite a number of trade unions have been approached by employers, or by agents of employers across channel for the services of their members in Great Britain, and that very large numbers of skilled craftsmen are awaiting instructions to go to Great Britain to find the work which they cannot find here, with consequent serious loss to us.
I am fully aware that such applications have been made. I have not been able to ascertain with anything like the same accuracy the degree to which there has been a response. I am asking for the co-operation of those who may know more than I do to give me that information.
Might I suggest to the Parliamentary Secretary that instead of waiting for precise statistics in this matter, he should consult the guards at Amiens Street Station or at Dundalk? I suggest that if he does that, he will get sufficient information to show that there is very substantial truth in what Deputy Norton says and very substantial truth in the suggestion that something radical is required in Dublin to deal with unemployment, which is very much greater than it was last year, but which is not so evident because people are leaving the city.
In my Department, we do not wait for precise statistics in order to deal with it, but precise statistics are enormously valuable. We are acting in the meantime to the best of our ability and shall continue to do so.