asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state whether the Agricultural Wages Board consulted the Central Statistics Office before fixing the value of farm workers' diet in respect of County Meath at 44s. 11d. per seven day week in May, 1956, which sum is 11s. 8d. in excess of the cost of purchasing the Army dietary scale at national retail prices, and, if not, if he will arrange to have farm workers' diet assessed and valued at prime cost.
Written Answers. - Value of Farm Workers' Diet.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that the allowances prescribed by the Agricultural Wages Board in respect of adult farm workers' diet in County Waterford is 43s. 9d. per seven day week; that the cost of purchasing the Army dietary scale in October, 1957, at national retail prices has been officially estimated at 33s. 3d. per week, and if he will state whether the farm workers' diet is substantially superior to the Army dietary scale given in a reply on 6th November, 1957.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state (a) whether the allowances prescribed by the Agricultural Wages Board in respect of farm workers' diet are based on (i) retail food prices, or (ii) wholesale food prices, and (b) the factors which the board take into consideration when fixing the food values.
I propose with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle to reply to Questions Nos. 95, 96 and 97 together.
Under sub-section (3) of Section 17 of the Agricultural Wages Act, 1936, the Agricultural Wages Board are empowered to define the benefits or advantages which may be reckoned as payment of wages in lieu of payment in cash, and the value at which they may be reckoned. This provision covers the value of meals supplied to farm workers by their employers. I am informed that since the board was established about 20 years ago the value of meals has been related to the prescribed minimum rates of wages, the practice having been to increase such values in proportion to increases made in the minimum rates from time to time. The retail prices of food and the service rendered by the employers in providing meals have been reflected in the values for meals fixed in the board's orders. I am not in a position to express any opinion as to the comparison between the Army dietary scale and farm workers' diet. The method of arriving at the value of any benefits or advantages, including meals is, as laid down in the Act, entirely a matter for the Agricultural Wages Board.