asked the Minister for Finance whether there is any regulation which debars a man aged 63 years from being considered for employment on the Kilmore-Ballyteigue drainage scheme.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment on Wexford Drainage Scheme.
4.
There is no such regulation.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that a man who presented himself at the employment exchange for employment on the Kilmore-Ballyteigue drainage scheme was informed his name could not be submitted because he was 63 years of age?
It is quite possible a person in charge of the work stipulated a particular age for the purpose of getting physically fit men for difficult work. There is no hard and fast regulation about it, but it is only natural that the person in charge might consider men over 60 not suitable.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary say who decides who will be taken on? Is it the Department of Finance or the Department of Social Welfare?
The engineer in charge has the right to recruit labour from the employment exchange. He also has the right to employ suitable persons on the list of unemployed.
But in this case it was the Department of Social Welfare which refused to submit the man's name.
That is not the position. Why try to misrepresent?
I am not trying to misrepresent. I am merely repeating what was told to me. Will the Minister for Social Welfare suggest what is to happen to this man of 63 years of age? He cannot do clerical work.
This is difficult and heavy work and it is only natural that the man in charge would not be in favour of taking on men over 60 years of age.
Why not have a notice then saying that men over 60 need not apply? What will they do? Emigrate?
There might be a particular type of work for which he might be suitable.
Political affiliations have a lot to do with it.
That is not so. The list is taken from the labour exchange and, as in the case of all other jobs, the man in charge has the right to select the most suitable men for the particular job.
But this man did not even get a chance because the Department of Social Welfare did not even submit his name.
They were probably told not to submit names over a certain age.
What is wrong with being over 60 years of age?