asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether, in view of the reduction in purchasing power consequent on the Budget proposals and the possibility of demands by wage and salary earners to secure increases in wages and salaries, he will state whether the Government intend either to facilitate such increases or on the other hand to introduce an Order similar to the Emergency Powers Order of 1941 restricting increases of remuneration.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wages and Salaries.
I refer the Deputy to the statement which I made in the debate on the general Budget resolution, as recorded in the Official Report for 14th May, 1957 (Volume 161, No. 9) in columns 1149-1155.
In view of the considerable millions of taxation, direct and indirect, imposed by the recent Budget on wage and salary earners, does the Minister not agree that the suggestion of wage restraint in the Minister's speech was unrealistic and that wage restraint without profit restraint would be completely inequitable and, further, that the wage and salary earners have legitimate claims to restore the purchasing value of their wages and salaries? Would the Minister, therefore, give a guarantee that if they now look for these legitimate increases he will not use any device such as the Wages Standstill Order or any other similar device to frustrate these demands?
Mr. Lemass
The Deputy has not the slightest grounds for suggesting that any such idea is in mind. I made that clear in my Budget speech. The Deputy may try to misrepresent me as much as he likes but I will present the facts.