asked the Minister for Agriculture if he has received any recommendation from the Agricultural Wages Board regarding additional holidays with pay for agricultural workers; if so, if he will indicate the nature of the recommendation; and when it is proposed to introduce legislation in relation to such holidays in order to give effect to an undertaking given by the then Minister in the Dáil on 29th March, 1946.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Additional Holidays for Agricultural Workers.
14.
Following are the terms of the motion which has been adopted by the Agricultural Wages Board and which has been received in my Department:—
That in order to put agricultural workers on the same footing as other workers in respect of public and/or Church Holidays, the Board request the Minister for Agriculture to consider the question of introducing legislation to give agricultural workers an entitlement to Public Holidays or Church Holidays, with pay, similar to that provided for other workers in Section 8 and 9 of the Holidays (Employees) Act, 1961 (No. 33 of 1961).
As recently as 1961 an Act was passed increasing the entitlement of agricultural workers from six holidays with pay to twelve such holidays per annum, and the Board did not then suggest that Church or Bank Holidays should be added. In fact, an amendment to that Act on the lines of what the Agricultural Wages Board now proposes was rejected by this House. In the circumstances, I would require to be fully assured that positive and compelling reasons exist for introducing so soon after the recent Act fresh legislation on the lines proposed.
Does the Minister not agree that, as the law stands, agricultural workers must be considered as second-class citizens? Every other type of worker is entitled to a minimum holiday but agricultural workers are, by law, entitled to six days less.
Following the passing of the 1961 Act, I felt, and I still feel, that, knowing the practice that is followed as far as Church and other holidays are concerned, the position of the two classes of workers is comparable.
The Minister is referring to Cavan where there is the practice of giving Church holidays but unfortunately, that does not operate in the rest of the State.
I think it is not correct to say that that practice does not operate all over the country.
I will prove it to the Minister if he likes.