asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is prepared to approve of the recommendation of the County Kildare Committee of Agriculture to reduce the working hours of the forestry workers employed by the Committee to forty-five per week spread over five days.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Working Week of County Kildare Forestry Workers.
49.
The working hours and working days per week applicable to State forestry workers, who of course comprise the bulk of forestry workers in the country, are a 48 hour week spread over 5½ days during the period March to September inclusive and a 45 hour week spread over 5½ days during the period October to February inclusive. It would be invidious to apply more favourable terms to the very small number of forestry workers employed by the Kildare Committee of Agriculture.
Is the Minister aware that the hours of work of the forestry workers employed by the County Kildare Committee of Agriculture have always been the same as the hours worked by the Kildare County Council road workers? As the county council has now reduced the hours of work of road workers, is there any reason why the Minister will not allow a longstanding practice to continue and consent to a reduction in the hours of work of these forestry workers?
Apart altogether from whether I am aware of the facts to which the Deputy refers, I think it quite a reasonable attitude to adopt that, in relation to a very small group of workers employed by County Kildare Committee of Agriculture, the hours of work and conditions of employment which apply to them and to workers in State plantations, where the great bulk of forestry workers are employed, should be similar.
Is the Minister not aware that investigations have been going on for a considerable time with the Forestry Division to have a 45-hour five-day week applied to this type of workers? Does he think that by adopting this attitude, he is strengthening the Government's apparent decision to hold up the granting of a 45-hour five-day week?
I am aware of the facts as they exist.
Apparently it will be very hard to drag the Minister into the second half of the 20th century.