asked the Minister for Agriculture the number of manual workers employed by or under his Department whose normal hours of work exceed forty-eight per week, as referred to in the Conditions of Employment Act, 1936, Part III.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Agriculture Department Manual Workers.
17.
The number of manual workers at present employed by my Department whose normal hours of work exceed 48 per week is 195. These are not workers to whom the Conditions of Employment Act, 1936, applies.
How can these people who, he states, are not workers to whom the Act applies, be excluded from the Act because the Act specifically states that it does apply to them?
That is not other people's interpretation of the Act. Naturally Deputy Tully would like to interpret it in the most favourable way from his point of view.
For the agricultural workers. Would the Minister state whether he considers that they are covered by the Agricultural Wages Board Act?
I do, yes.
Does the Minister then state that he is an agricultural employer under that Act? Otherwise, they are not agricultural workers. Would he have another look at the Act?