asked the Minister for Labour the legislation, if any, he expects to bring before the House prior to Christmas and from Christmas to Easter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Department of Labour Legislation.
29.
I hope that the House can complete consideration in the present session of the two Bills which have been given a Second Reading, namely, the Payment of Wages Bill and the Safety in Industry Bill.
In the next session I hope to introduce three Bills dealing respectively with (a) maternity protection for women in employment, (b) safety, health and welfare of workers employed on offshore installations, and (c) reduction in the statutory limits on adult working hours.
Has the Minister even considered legislation on industrial relations and will he comment on the statement made by the Minister for Finance before the Cork by-elections?
That is a separate question.
The question relates to proposed legislation, and a Member of of Government did say during the Cork by-elections that legislation must be considered. Did the Minister in fact consider such legislation, and what conclusions did he come to on the subject?
The Minister may or may not answer. The question here relates to what legislation he proposes to bring before the House before Christmas and between Christmas and Easter. We could have a infinite number of questions on that.
The House is waiting with bated breath for the Minister's reply.
I shall always reply to a question provided the Ceann Comhairle permits.
He has given permission.
Yes. I said in reply to an earlier question that the Minister for Labour will always be considering various ways of effecting improvements in the state of industrial relations. The unhappy position in industrial relations did not occur today or yesterday or last year; it has been with us far too long and shows no sign of improvement. Certain consideration will always be given to the introduction, perhaps, of legislation. If a decision were to be taken on such legislation it would be preferable to have discussions with both sides of industry in an effort to ensure that it would be legislation of an encouraging and helpful nature, not related to the myth so many people entertain that you can legislate away your problems straight away. That is not a possibility.
If the Minister's policy is to do nothing, fair enough, but would he not agree that it is not even helpful for his colleagues in Government to bellyache at what they consider politically appropriate times about threatened legislation? Would he not agree that it is not good enough to threaten legislation because it might be popular when by-elections are pending when no consideration is being given to that kind of legislation?
Obviously the Deputy did not listen to the reply. I said that the Minister for Labour will always be giving consideration to such measures as I, in my time am giving it.
Is the Minister aware that the Minister for Finance in a newspaper interview promised legislation on industrial relations before Christmas? That promise was made during the by-election campaign in Cork.
(Interruptions.)
I shall correct the Deputy in a moment.
Is it good enough for the Minister for Finance to be bellyaching and shouting promises like this which he has no intention of fulfilling and which the Minister never had any intention of fulfilling? What the Minister has just said to the House——
We were making reasonable progress until the Deputy went into the bellyaching business.
(Interruptions.)
I want to correct something for the record of the House. The Deputy said something in relation to the Tánaiste which is incorrect. During the Cork by-elections the Tánaiste was interviewed by one paper on a statement and said, as I have said here today, that consideration was being given to the matter.