asked the Minister for Finance whether he is aware that considerable dissatisfaction exists in many districts of West Cork as a result of the failure to implement an assurance that beneficiaries would receive preferential employment in schemes carried out by the Special Employment Schemes Office.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - West Cork Special Employment Schemes.
Beneficiaries get only a limited preference in the recruitment of workers for schemes administered by the Special Employment Schemes Office in West Cork and elsewhere and any dissatisfaction that may exist is due to a misunderstanding of the position. I shall set out again for the information of the Deputy the recruitment procedure for the different types of schemes. In the case of Minor Employment Schemes, recruitment of unskilled workers is confined to persons who are in receipt of unemployment assistance and who are fully capable and suitable for the work in hands, which is invariably heavy manual work. Beneficiaries of the schemes who are not in receipt of unemployment assistance are not eligible for employment on these schemes unless they specially facilitate the carrying out of the work by giving concessions of real value disproportionate to the benefit which they otherwise gain from the carrying out of the work.
In the case of Bog Development Schemes and Rural Improvements Schemes, recruitment of labourers is made in the following order of preference: —(a) Recipients of unemployment assistance. (b) Recipients of unemployment benefit. (c) Other persons registered at the local office of the Department of Social Welfare, including ex-members of the Defence Forces. (d) Beneficiaries under the scheme who have contributed to the cost, or members of their families. (e) Other workers in the area, preference being given, where possible, to necessitous cases.
Is it not implied in the application form for rural improvement schemes that applicants who are beneficiaries will get preferential treatment, so far as employment is concerned? As the Minister pointed out in his answer, most of these applicants are beneficiaries. They give concessions to the Parliamentary Secretary's office to have these projects carried out. The fact that they do not get any return by way of employment gives rise to grave dissatisfaction, as the Parliamentary Secretary is only too well aware.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the rural improvements scheme grants for West Cork have been cut from last year——
Order! That is an entirely separate matter.
——because there is no money there?
There is nobody from West Cork to talk about West Cork.
I am well aware——
The Deputy is well aware.
Order!
I have had occasion to bring to the notice of the Parliamentary Secretary's office several complaints regarding this question of the recruitment of labour on these schemes, and a number of these schemes had to be dropped because applicants did not get employment on them. A number were closed down in West Cork for that reason. Can the Parliamentary Secretary indicate whether any change will be made?
I think I made it quite plain that as far as those works are concerned people drawing unemployment assistance get first preference, and rightly so.
Address the Chair.
I will not address Deputy MacEntee. They get first preference, and rightly so. If there are more required afterwards, the people who contribute or their families get second preference. That was the case all along during my time and it will continue while I am there which will be a long time.