asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he has received a copy of a resolution from Offaly County Council relating to having Offaly declared an underdeveloped area in order to attract more industries thereto; and what progress has been made with regard to this resolution.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Offaly Industries.
20.
I received a copy of this resolution. As the Offaly County Council were informed in reply to representations last month the matter is under active consideration.
In view of the seriousness of the situation and while realising that the matter is under active consideration would the Minister be in a position to state at what date we may expect results? The Minister is probably aware that, due to lack of financial inducement, industries are not being attracted to Offaly.
As I have said, the matter is under active consideration and I am not in a position to indicate a date on which a decision will be made.
Is the Minister not aware of the survey carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute which showed that Laois and Offaly are lagging behind and are much more akin to the underdeveloped areas in the west than is the rest of Leinster?
I am aware of the Ross report which, I think, is what the Deputy has in mind.
21.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that approximately 250 workers employed by a firm (name supplied) in Tullamore, County Offaly, are reduced to short-time working status; and if in view of the serious hardships being imposed on many families he will state what steps he proposes to take to alleviate this serious situation.
22.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that the increase in the duty free quota on weaving yarns from 10 per cent to 25 per cent is causing short time to workers employed by a firm (name supplied) in Tullamore, County Offaly; if this increase in quota applies to the period commencing 1st July, 1970; if he is aware that this is the largest employer in the midlands and that Tullamore has no other source of profitable employment for these workers; and if he will now take steps to remedy the position so that full employment can be restored.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take questions numbers 21 and 22 together.
I am aware that there was short time working at the Tullamore plant in question between 9th and 25th April, 1970. There was a resumption of full time working at the plant on 27th April.
I am satisfied that the difficulties that gave rise to the period of short time working were not due to the arrangements for allowing weavers to import duty-free a certain quantity of yarn based on their purchases from the Irish yarn-spinners. These arrangements are designed to ensure the maximum of employment in both worsted weaving mills and yarn-spinning mills and the nominal percentage of imports allowed has recently been raised from 10 per cent to 25 per cent to bring it into line with actual licensed imports in recent years. Actual imports have in recent years been greater than the percentage nominally allowed because extra licences were granted to the weavers when the Irish spinners were unable to meet their orders in full.
The next quota period for duty-free allocations will begin on 1st July, 1970. I am arranging for the licensing arrangements to be kept under review with reference specifically to the employment position in both the spinning and weaving mills.
Could the Minister give an assurance to the House and to the workers employed in this firm that they will not be relegated to short-time working in the future?
Of course, I could not give any such undertaking either to the employees of this firm or to the employees of any other firm, as the Deputy will appreciate.
23.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that approximately 600 workers employed by a firm (name supplied) in Clara, County Offaly, were reduced to short-time working status recently; and if in view of the seriousness of this situation he will say what steps he proposes to take to ensure that this situation does not recur.
I am aware that employees of the firm in question have recently been put on limited short-time working. I understand that this development is attributable to external marketing conditions quite outside the firm's control. I am keeping in close touch with the situation.
In view of the fact that there is a large number of people involved, would it be possible for the Minister to make some allowances for those people who are on a short-time basis and who must stamp cards for the time they are working? Perhaps the Minister could help to alleviate the situation because these people have been on only a two-day week?
I am not sure what the Deputy has in mind but I understand that the pattern of short-time working has been so arranged as to enable the workers to derive the maximum benefit from unemployment insurance by virtue of the fact that in one week they work on three days and, in the next, they work full time.
In view——
Question No. 24.
——of the fact that so many of these workers are relegated to short-time and because of the subsequent drop in wages, can the Minister offer any hope for them?
I would certainly not like to give the impression that there is no hope for these workers and as far as I know they are not under that impression either.
I am quite sure that there is every hope——
I am calling Question No. 24.
——that the workers in this firm will be back on full-time in the future but I want to be sure that the Department of Industry and Commerce are fully supporting the workers in what they are doing.
I wish to make it clear that the officers of my Department and I have been in close touch with the firm for at least two years in connection with the long-term plans for the industry. I am fully aware of the situation and will continue to keep in close touch with it.