asked the Minister for Labour the principal qualifying conditions for employment premiums in agriculture.
Written Answers. - Agricultural Employment Premiums.
355.
Following are the principal qualifying conditions for employment premiums in agriculture:—
1. The employer must be a person engaged in agriculture, including horticulture, whose income is wholly or mainly derived from that source. 2. New eligible employees, additional to the base level, must be recruited during the currency of the scheme, i.e. 3rd August, 1975 to 26th June, 1976, and retained in employment for a continuous period of 9 months. 3. The eligible additions are measured by reference to the base level of the employer's work force on 25th July, 1975. 4. An eligible employee must fulfil the following basic conditions : (a) be in receipt of unemployment benefit at any time after 20th June, 1974 and; (b) be continuously on the live register for not less than the four weeks immediately preceding first employment under the premium employment programme. 5. Employees at the base date and any additional employees must be paid at least the full time minimum rate for workers as prescribed by the Agricultural Wages Board throughout the currency of the scheme and must be persons who are insured at the rate applicable to agricultural workers.
356.
asked the Minister for Labour the number of employment premiums granted in each county to date in respect of farm employment.
Under the conditions governing payment of premiums to employers in agriculture there is a requirement that the employee must be retained in employment for a continuous period of 9 months. No premiums can be paid until this 9 months employment period is completed.
Applications to participate in the programme have been received from 12 employers in agriculture. The following is a list, by county, of the applications received :
Carlow, two applications; Cavan, one application; Cork, one application; Galway, one application; Kilkenny, one application; Laois, one application; Monaghan, one application; Waterford, one application; Wexford, two applications; Wicklow, one application; remaining counties, nil.