asked the Minister for Social Welfare what precautions are taken by officers in employment exchanges to ensure that positions and situations, to which they send persons available for employment, are above reproach, and what steps are taken to ensure that prospective employers are of good character.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment Conditions.
While the local officers of my Department have no legal responsibility in regard to the conditions of the employment as notified by an employer, they do, in fact, in the course of their day-to-day work, accumulate fairly extensive information about the employers in their area, and they do not send persons forward to employment that is known to be undesirable. Where examination of a complaint from a worker placed in employment reveals that the conditions are objectionable, he may leave it without penalty by way of disallowance of benefit or assistance and no other workers are submitted for the vacancy. Special care is taken in the submission of young women and juveniles for employment.
There is no legislative provision under which steps could be taken to ensure that prospective employers are of good character. If an employer knowingly makes any false statement to an officer of an exchange for the purpose of engaging workpeople he commits an offence for which he is liable to a fine.
Is the Minister aware that recently a woman was sent by the labour exchange to take up employment with a man who runs a gaming establishment? He was subsequently summoned and convicted and she was fined 1/- for aiding and abetting. If that conviction stands against her she cannot get further employment. There is a general feeling that the labour exchange should not send people to those places for employment.