asked the Minister for Agriculture if the Agricultural Wages Board may, under Section 17 of the Agricultural Wages Act, 1936, make a new wages Order or amend the Agricultural Wages Order, 1956, so as to (1) fix special rates of wages in each case for (a) horticultural workers, (b) dairy workers, (c) tractor drivers and (d) agricultural learners or apprentices; (2) define as "overtime" time worked (a) before or after a specified hour in a day, (b) after a specified number of hours in any day, (c) after a specified number of hours in any week, (d) on a specified day such as Sunday, St. Patrick's Day or Christmas Day, (3) fix differential or graded overtime rates for (a) overtime worked in excess of two or more hours, (b) special areas, (c) special classes of workers, (4) prescribe the number of working hours per week or per day so as to very according to (a) area, (b) special class of workers, (c) season or other period; (5) reduce or increase the normal hours of work in respect of specified days, weeks, months, areas or classes of workers; (6) prescribe (a) special minimum rates of wages and, (b) different overtime rates in respect of specified days, weeks or months and; (7) fix a special minimum rate in respect of (a) a townland, (b) a specified part of a townland and (c) a specified farm (of farms) in a district or townland.
Written Answers. - Powers of Agricultural Wages Board.
The powers of the Agricultural Wages Board in the matters mentioned by the Deputy are fully set out in Section 17 of the Agricultural Wages Act, 1936.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if there is anything in the Agricultural Wages Acts, 1936, which prevents the Agricultural Wages Board from (a) having consultations with the Central Statistics Office as to the value of farm workers diet, (b) inviting organisations representative of agricultural workers and agricultural employers to attend meetings of the board, and (c) giving public notice of its proposals so as to enable organisations representative of agricultural workers and employers to submit observations on or objections to the board's proposals.
As regards (a) the reply is "No.". As regards (b) while there may be no express prohibition in the Act against such invitations they would appear to be inconsistent with the spirit and framework of the Act. As regards (c) I would refer the Deputy to the reply I gave him on the 20th May to a similar inquiry.