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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 25 Jan 1921

Vol. F No. 19

DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. - LABOUR.

Owing to the imprisonment of the Minister for Labour, the MINISTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT read the Report from the Secretary of the Labour Department. He formally moved its adoption.
P. O'KEEFFE (Cork, North) seconded.
M.P. COLIVET (Limerick City) asked what measures were taken for placing the unemployed. If lists were supplied to Members of the Dáil they might be able to help sometimes.
J. MACDONAGH (Tipperary, North) thought the Department was not as active as it might be. For the past seven or eight months they had gone through a series of strikes and he thought that instead of allowing the English Ministry of Labour to butt in and obtain a certain amount of spurious popularity, they should have taken the initiative. The British Ministry of Labour was currying favour with the men and giving them all they wanted. He thought it was rather slack not to get in ahead and get out a scheme of Conciliation Boards. He also referred to the question of National Health Insurance, and suggested that the Labour Department should tell the people to have nothing to do with State Insurance.
The MINISTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT said the Member for St. James' who was acting Minister for Labour, submitted to him a memo, dealing with the question of National Health Insurance, and the Acting President was also seen by the Labour leaders, who were against any interference with the Insurance Act at the time.
The DIRECTOR OF FISHERIES said he discussed this matter with the Member for St. James' and with the men from Liberty Hall. The Societies had immense sums accrued but in the hands of the Commissioners. The Societies could only invest one-third of the accrued sums. Enormous sums had gone into the British Treasury, and he did not think England was losing anything. It was the opinion of the different Societies that there would be great opposition on the part of Labour men who are in the Societies if they withdrew now on account of the huge sums at their disposal. Labour had no objection if the Dáil could give them an alternative scheme and supply finance.
The Report was put and carried unanimously.
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