asked the Taoiseach if he will state the percentage of persons in insurable employment who are engaged in industries which are subject to a protective tariff.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment in Protected Industries.
The exact particulars requested by the Deputy are not available since tariff protection relates to an individual product and not to an industry while industrial employment statistics relate to industries and not to products. Under such circumstances any computation must be of a tentative nature. It is estimated that the average number of persons engaged in 1956 in industries, any of whose products would, if imported, be subject to a customs tariff, constituted 20 per cent. of the total number of Social Welfare cards exchanged in the previous year. It may be added that in virtue of the Social Welfare Act, 1952, the insurance coverage now includes employment in agriculture.