asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if it is a fact that school children, some of them under 12 years, have gone from districts in County Mayo to Ayrshire in Scotland where they have been employed at the early potato harvesting operations.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Potato Harvesting by School Children.
I am not aware of any such position as outlined in the Deputy's question. Migratory workers and members of their families seeking to follow the family tradition of migration to seasonal agricultural employment in Great Britain are not required to register at local offices of my Department when they desire to proceed to such work, and applications for travel permits are accepted from them by the Gárda Síochána without prior reference to my Department. I understand, however, that it has not been, at least for some time past, the practice of the Gárda Síochána to accept applications for travel permits made by or on behalf of members of migratory families, who are under 14 years of age.
Will the Minister take the necessary steps to ensure that a boy under the age of 14 years will not be allowed to emigrate?
It is not a matter for the Department of Industry and Commerce, but I understand that the Department of Justice has given instructions to the Gárda Síochána that applications from people under 14 years of age, as migratory workers, should not be entertained.
Is it not a fact that a well-known authority on this question of migratory workers, known as Mr. Peader O'Donnell, has stated that he noticed that young boys under 14 years of age were amongst the migratory workers?
I am telling the Deputy that travel permits are not given to migratory workers under 14 years of age.
Well, I do not know how they got there.
It is, therefore, a lie to state that children of 12 years of age went across to Scotland? Is that correct or is it not?
I want to inform the Deputy that this is not a matter for my Department. I understand the Department of Justice issued instructions some time ago to the Gárda Síochána concerning the matter, and if the Deputy wants to pursue the matter, he had better take it up with the Minister for Justice or with the Minister for External Affairs.