asked the Minister for Lands if he has received complaints regarding the method of employing workers at Kilfinane forest, County Limerick; and if he will state their nature; what action he has taken to ascertain whether the complaints are well founded; what is the method of employing workers; and whether the workers are recruited through the local employment exchange.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Recruitment of Workers at Limerick Forest.
Complaints, including one from the Deputy, that men who were not registered at the local employment exchange were taken on at Kilfinane forest have been received. A complaint from the Deputy that single men were being employed while a number of married men were idle was also received.
The complaints have been investigated and it has been confirmed that all the men were selected from lists submitted by the local employment exchange. There is no evidence that single men received preferential treatment in the matter of employment.
asked the Minister for Lands if he has received complaints regarding the method of employing workers at Cappamore forest, County Limerick; and, if so, if he will state the nature of such complaints, and what action has been taken by him to remedy the position.
As promised in my reply to a similar question by the Deputy on 15th April 1958, I have had the whole employment position of Cappamore forest examined in detail and I am satisfied that when the recent staff reduction was made at the forest the selection of the men to be retained or laid-off respectively followed the lines laid down generally in such cases. Full consideration was given to each man's domestic and financial circumstances, his seniority of service and in particular to his work output and attitude to work.