asked the Minister for Lands if he will explain (a) why redundancy discharges are so high in the Camolin forests, County Wexford; (b) why two employees were let go from the one house; and (c) what steps he intends to take to deal with re-employment of such men discharged in the area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Redundancy in Wexford Forests.
19.
Reduction in staff at Camolin forest was due in the main to improved methods of weed control in the nursery and the absence of an adequate land reserve in the forest. Regarding the other matters raised in the Deputy's question all relevant factors were taken into consideration in selecting the workmen to be retained in employment. My Department here, as elsewhere, are continuing to seek land to improve the land reserve position.
Would the Minister not agree it is rather unusual for two people out of the one house to be dismissed as redundant?
Not in these particular circumstances. The two men are single men and my information is they are living together for only some 14 months since the wife of one of them died.
These two men have a widowed sister with two children depending on them. They live much closer to Camolin forest than other people who have been retained. Would the Minister not agree there is political preference in this case and that is why these men have been let go?
I do not agree there is any political pressure. I do not know what political Party they deal with. Apparently, they were not assiduous in digging on the floor of the forest, and that is important, too.
Is the Minister aware that these men were let go because they acted as personation agents for Deputy Tom O'Higgins in the Presidential election?
(Interruptions.)
I suggest to the Minister that he remove his agent from the area so that the people may get fair play in the future.
It may explain the tremendous influence of Deputy O'Higgins that he had two men out of the same house, without dependants, working in the forest.
They were let go——
When the work became slack.
That is the sort of thing that is rotting Irish political life today and the Minister has no right to stand over it.