asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state in respect of the years 1930, 1940, 1950 and 1953 the number of (a) established, (b) unestablished, (c) part-time and (d) full-time non-industrial local authority employees.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Authority Employees.
The records of the Department do not give the necessary information in the form requested by the Deputy. Returns furnished by local authorities indicate that in the years 1939, 1950 and 1952 the numbersof officers, for whom I am the appropriate Minister, employed by local authorities were 3,360, 4,901 and 5,134, respectively. These figures comprise roughly the non-industrial employees of local authorities engaged on local government duties in the years referred to. It is estimated that in 1952 10 per cent. of these officers were part-time and a somewhat higher proportion were in non-pensionable employment.
Can the Minister say do officers of local authorities primarily engaged in public health work come under the jurisdiction of the Minister for Social Welfare or the Minister for Health?
The Minister for Health, I think.
They would not, therefore, be contained in the enumeration that the Minister has just read out.
That is so.
Might I ask does the Minister know if there is any Minister, other than the Minister for Health and himself, to whom officers of local authorities are responsible?
Yes, to the Department of Education. But I find it so hard to keep in contact with my own that I am not very much concerned with those who have responsibility for others.
The local authority would have in its service officers for whom other Ministers would be responsible?
That is so.
Not the Department of Education, surely.
Yes, and agricultural committees of all kinds. There are several committees which are the offshoots of county councils.
That is not an offshoot. It is a half-way shoot.