asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will state in respect of the period 1st January, 1966, to date, the number of employees who were absent from work owing to illness; the total number of work days lost; and the amount of sick pay paid to each employee at his Department's stations at Abbotstown and Backweston, County Dublin.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Dublin State Farm Workers.
38.
During the period from 1st January to 10th March, 13 agricultural employees at my Department's farm at Abbotstown, County Dublin, were absent from work due to illness for a total of 139 working days. Eight such employees at Backweston farm, County Dublin, were similarly absent for a total of 121 working days.
In accordance with the usual terms of employment, the men concerned were not paid by my Department in respect of these absences, but they were, of course, entitled to claim the normal sickness benefits payable under the Social Welfare Acts.
Does the Minister appreciate that the Department of Agriculture are one of the last employers around Dublin city, not to talk of the country as a whole, not paying sick pay of some kind to their employees?
That is not so. We try to keep in step with other people concerned in this matter.
Surely the Minister will agree that these people having been notified some time ago that they are civil servants and therefore may not take part in political activities, are not being treated as civil servants if they do not get even one day's sick pay?
As I say, we are in step with similar bodies and institutions and other Government Departments in this matter. We are in fact in communication with the Federation of Rural Workers about this.
But like the Department of Finance and other Government Departments where lower-paid employees are concerned, the communications will go on and on——
We will receive a deputation any time.
When?
Whenever you say.
May Deputy Cluskey go also?
He is a city man.