asked the Minister for Lands if he is aware that men who reside at Bray, County Wicklow, and are employed by the forestry division on lands at Shankill, County Dublin are being paid at the rate of £4 3s. 6d. per week whilst workers who reside in County Dublin and who are employed by the forestry division at Glencullen, County Dublin, are paid £5 3s. per week; and, if so, if he will take steps to have the workers in Shankill paid the £5 3s. per week rate.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Forestry Workers' Wages.
Shankill property forms part of Enniskerry Forest, which lies mainly in County Wicklow and in accordance with normal practice, the wage rate paid is the County Wicklow rate. Instructions have been issued for the payment of an increased rate of 90/- per week at Enniskerry Forest effective from 10th October, 1952. Glencullen property forms part of Killakee Forest which lies wholly in County Dublin.
Is the Minister not aware that Government contracts stipulate that a contractor must pay the rate of wages in a particular area? In this case the Department are paying less than the County Dublin rate of wages. If County Dublin men were employed in County Wicklow their wages would be reduced to the County Wicklow rate. In this case County Wicklow men are employed in County Dublin and the Minister should see that they receive the County Dublin rate of wages.
The principle that has been adopted so far in the matter is that when the main part of a forest is in a particular county and two counties are in question, then the rate of wages payable in the county in which there is the larger part of the forest is the level.
That is a new regulation.
It is not a new regulation.