asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to advertisements appearing in the Irish daily newspapers specially drawn up for the purpose of encouraging the emigration of young Irish girls to Britain as student nurses; and whether, in view of the dishonest nature of many of these advertisements, he will cause the Government to take such steps are are necessary to prohibit their continued publication.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Emigration of Girls.
I have seen in Irish newspapers advertisements inviting Irish girls to enter the nursing profession in British hospitals but I have no information that these advertisements, or any of them, are of a dishonest nature. As the Deputy is, no doubt, aware, there is no power enabling the Government to authorise or provide for the control and censorship of newspapers. I do not propose to recommend that such power be sought.
Is the Minister aware that in the Cork Examiner of the 30th March last there appears an advertisement under the heading “More Student Nurses Wanted”; that from the text of the matter it is obviously intended only for this country, that it is specifically addressed to Irish girls and that it contains the admonition at the bottom of the advertisement in heavy type “address your application to the nearest labour exchange”? In view of the fact that the positions which are offered to these girls over there are merely those of probationary nurses, from which they are dismissed after a period of two years, and in view of the fact that they are not real openings for these girls, would the Minister not consider taking some steps to put an end to the practice?
All I can say to the Deputy is, firstly, that I have no power nor has the Government any power, to exercise the censorship over newspapers which he apparently desires, nor do I think it desirable that either I or the Government should have power in that matter. So far as the recruitment of staff in Britain is concerned, there are no restrictions at present on women going to Britain to take up employment, nor do I think that the circumstances, so far as they have been revealed by the Deputy's question, would justify the taking of any such special powers to prevent such persons taking up employment in Britain. I do not want at this stage to give approbation to or to engage in any condemnation of the advertisement which appeared in the paper. People of intelligence can sift these advertisements and ascertain for themselves what the conditions of employment are, and make up their minds whether it is worth while taking up this employment. I understand that many of those who go over are trained as nurses without fee, without premium, and with remuneration from the outset, and I think that the way in which this problem can be best combated is for some of our Irish institutions to advertise similar employment under similar conditions, and so keep our young people at home.
I do not think the Minister has taken the point I put to him. Is he aware that the advertisement carries at its foot an admonition to apply to the nearest labour exchange? Are we to understand from the Minister's reply that our labour exchanges are being used as recruiting agencies for the British nursing services?
Our labour exchanges are not being and will not be used as recruiting agencies for persons desiring to go to Great Britain. I see no objection to our labour exchanges being used for the purpose of making sure that any persons who want to go to Great Britain to take up employment there will go with their eyes wide open. Our labour exchanges will be utilised to make sure that the employment given them will be of a kind which our labour exchanges, having sifted the evidence, can recommend to them. If they go to the employment exchanges it is because it is desired to make sure that they have whatever benefits and protection the exchanges can provide for them in seeking employment elsewhere.
I should like to point this out to the Minister——
This is becoming a debate.
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply, I desire to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment.