asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether there has been any change in the dates of the Employment Period Orders compared with former years; and, if so, if he will state the reason therefor and the effect on the live register.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment Period Orders.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state why the Employment Period Orders for 1958 were extended for a fortnight longer this year than in each of the last three years.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state the reason for the extension of the Employment Period Orders for an extra two weeks this year.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 23, 24 and 25 together.
The employment periods of 1958 were a fortnight longer than those of recent years.
The question of the scope and duration of Employment Period Orders is examined afresh every year and the duration of the employment periods this year was fixed after full consideration of all the relevant factors.
In the first week of the extension of the employment periods the live register was 3,823 lower than in the corresponding week of 1957 and in the second week it was 7,356 lower. However, not all of this reduction can be attributed to the effect of extending the duration of the Employment Period Orders. In the week following the termination of the Employment Period Orders this year the live register was still 2,007 lower than in the corresponding week of 1957.
The Minister has not yet stated why it was necessary to extend the Employment Period Order by two weeks.
It was considered that there would be plenty of employment available for those who are covered by the Order, and experience has proved that.
What sort of employment is the Minister referring to?
Employment over in England.
The usual sort of employment for which persons covered by the Employment Period Orders would be available.
Harvest work?
Late harvest work.
You did not know that in March.
At the end of October, which is the normal time at which the Employment Period Orders cease to operate, there were approximately 50,000 persons registered and available for employment in the exchanges. Why then was it desirable or necessary for the Government to prevent other people from registering on the basis that there was an abundance of work available when those 50,000 people at the exchanges could not get that work? Am I right in assuming that the period was extended by a fortnight to save money and to rig the figures at the employment exchanges?
Naturally the Employment Period Order was extended to save money. We are not splashing it around the way you did and leaving the State bankrupt at the end of it all.
You codded the mugs. You are in office now and you can laugh at the people who voted for you.
In view of the fact that the Government announced a reduction in the price of wheat, surely they did not anticipate last March when the Order was made that more would be employed at harvest time?
We certainly did. We anticipated a bumper harvest this year and that there would be plenty of work this year for everybody.
There has been a bumper harvest?
We anticipated a bumper harvest. We are not like the Deputy. We are not prophets.
You are certainly not prophets judging by the advertisements: "Wives put your husbands to work."
You put them out of work.
You did not put many husbands to work.