asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the average number of men engaged on employment schemes in 1947 and 1948, distinguishing between urban schemes and rural schemes (excluding farm improvement schemes).
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment Schemes.
The figures for the numbers of men engaged on employment schemes in the calendar years 1947 and 1948 are not readily available; those for the corresponding financial years are as follows:—
|
Urban areas |
Rural areas |
TOTAL |
|
|
Year 1947-48 |
732 |
4,035 |
4,767 |
|
Year 1948-49 |
616 |
3,425 |
4,041 |
(The figures for 1948/49 include estimates or the month of March, 1949).
I should point out that the bulk of employment schemes are carried out during the months November to March, more particularly in the rural areas, in which the Employment Period Orders operate during the remainder of the year. For this reason, an average figure for the whole year might convey a wrong impression. Also, I should say that as each workman for the most part gets a spell of only six to 12 weeks' employment, the total number of individual workmen engaged on employment schemes during the course of the year would be probably four times as many as the average numbers shown above.