asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware of the serious shortage of domestic help in this country owing to the increasing reluctance of Irish girls to engage in domestic work; and if, seeing that there are available in Austria and such other devastated continental countries many homeless and efficient girls, anxious to take up housework, he will arrange, through the agency of the Red Cross Society, for the placing of such girls in employment here where a good home and good wages would be available to them.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Shortage of Domestic Help.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he will arrange for the admission of aliens, seeking employment as domestic servants in Ireland, in view of the acute shortage of Irish citizens willing to enter this branch of employment and the hardship thereby occasioned to housewives unable to secure domestic help.
I propose to take questions Nos. 2 and 3 together.
The desirability of issuing employment permits under the Aliens Order, 1946, to employers wishing to employ female aliens as domestic servants is under consideration.
Are we to take it from that reply that housewives who are in a position to contact suitable girls or women for this type of employment should file their application with the Minister forthwith for the necessary permits?
The Deputy should not take from my answer anything more than it contains. The matter is under consideration.
No decision has been taken as to whether they will be allowed in at all or not?
No decision has yet been taken.
Is the Minister in a position to tell us the approximate date on which his decision on that matter will be made known?
I do not think that there will be a long delay.
Before that decision is taken, will the Minister see that the conditions of employment in this type of service are improved, and there may be no necessity to bring in volunteers?
Will the Minister consider, in this connection, the desirability of appointing some lady officer of his Department to whom girls coming in under a scheme of permits of this kind might refer any grievance they would have, so that no question of victimisation of a girl separated from her parents and relatives would properly arise?
That is a separate question.