asked the Minister for Labour if he is aware of the threat of large-scale redundancy in the construction industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Construction Industry Redundancy.
43.
I am not aware of a threat of large scale redundancy in the construction industry.
Is the Minister aware of statements that have been made by the director of the Construction Federation to the effect that there is serious concern among the members of the federation, the employers in the construction industry, as to a threat of wholesale unemployment in that industry because of the lack of home loans?
A brief question, Deputy.
Is the Minister aware of these statements and has he examined the situation?
The official sources of information available to me—the National Manpower Service and the Redundancy Payments section —do not indicate large scale redundancies in the construction industry. In fact, the statistics for the Central Statistics Office available indicate that there was an increase in employment in the construction industry in the first four months of this year.
Is the Minister aware that figures given today show an increase of 2,300 unemployed over the same period last year?
That happens to be wrong.
Question No. 44. The Chair has called the next question.
A Cheann Comhairle, this is a very important issue.
I have given the Deputy a lot of latitude.
I have only asked one supplementary which arose out of the Minister's answer.
The Deputy has asked a number of supplementaries.
Is the Minister aware that Question No. 43 refers to a threat of large-scale unemployment? I am not referring to statistics which were published last week or months ago. I am referring to a threat of unemployment in the very near future in the construction industry. Statements to this effect have been made by people——
Please, Deputy Molloy, will you help the Chair by asking a brief supplementary question?
A brief supplementary question on a big national problem.
The figures available all round the country show that more people are in the building industry this year than at any time certainly over the comparable period last year and away over that period of the year before. One of the main elements in the improved position of the building industry is the higher housing out-put maintained by this Government last year and continuing this year.
Will the Minister give a reply to the question I asked which does not refer to activity in the industry in the past? It refers to activity in this industry as forecast for the future. There has been a threat of unemployment and that is what the question is about.
The Deputy is seeking to debate the matter.
The Minister is showing scant concern about the threat of unemployment.
The building industry has never been in a healthier state.
The Minister has ignored the question.
Is Deputy Molloy more anxious to create disorder than to receive information?
This is a grave discourtesy to the House. The Minister has refused to answer a simple, straight question.
Please, Deputy. The Chair has no control over Minister's replies and the Deputy knows that.
I have given the Deputy all the information he sought.
Flippant.
So the statements from the industry are wrong? Has the Minister read today's paper, his own paper, The Irish Independent?
Did I hear the Minister say that the statistics published today, which show an increase of 2,000 in unemployed over the corresponding period last year, are wrong?
The number of redundancies in this industry has fallen over the comparable period last year.
The number of unemployed has risen by 2,344.
The number of redundancies——
Deputies
Not redundancies, the number of unemployed.
In general industry?
Overall.
You are asking me now for overall national redundancies?
No.
We are wasting precious time in an argument. I cannot have this.
Is the Minister not aware that there is an increase of 2,344 on the register of unemployed in this country over this time last year?
The building industry has never been in a healthier state.
Tricky Dick. There is a man in America in trouble for those kind of answers.
Will Deputy Molloy cease interrupting, please?