Sé an chead gnó eile na Tuarasgabháil ón Aire Oibreachais.
TUARASGABHAIL AIREACHT AN OIBREACHAIS.
A Chinn Chomhairle, agus a lucht na Dála, tá coip de Thuarasgabháil Aireacht an Oibreachais ag gach Teachta, agus gheobhaidh sibh ann gach eolas i dtaobh imeachta na hAireachta ón am a thógas an obair orm féin, ins an mbliain a naoi gcéad déag is a naoi déag, go dtí an chéad lá d'Fheabhra i mbliana, nuair a ceapadh Seosamh Mac Donnchadha mar Aire Ionaid.
Ní raibh mé i bhfad i bhfeidhl na hAireachta nó gur gabhadh mé agus do chrom Tomás O Ceallaigh ar an obair. I gceann ceithre míosa, tháinig mé amach arís agus do leanas den obair, go dtí gur tógadh arís mé, sa bhFomhar anuraidh.
Ba mhór an sásamh domhsa nuair a bhí mé i bpriosún go raibh oifig curtha ar bun agam agus go raibh an obair ag dul chun cinn cé ná raibh mé in ann í do stiúrú.
Ba mhaith liom mo bhuidheachas do ghabháil le lucht na hOifige ar son a dhúthrachtaí agus a dhícheallaí a oibrigh siad le linn na h-aimsire ó tosnuíodh ar an obair.
Ba mhaith liom fós mo bhuidheachas do ghabháil le beirt Aire a thug cabhair agus congnamh dom aon tráth a theastuigh sí uaim. Is iad san Art O Conchúbhair agus Earnán de Blaghd.
A Uachtaráin agus a cháirde, bá mhaith liom cur síos a dhéanamh ar an méid a dhin Aireacht Oibreachais Dháil Éireann ón gcéad lá de mhí Feabhra, mar b'in é an lá a cuireadh fém stiúradh an Aireacht san. Do b'é ba mhó a raibh baint againn leis ná achrainn a shocrú, cabhrú leis na daoine oibre, agus leis na daoine a bhí gan obair, agus iad a cheangal le chéile go dlúth náisiúnta 'na dtír ndúthchais. Dá bhrí sin do cuireadh ar bun ar fud na tíre coistí chun na hachrainn a réiteach, agus do dineadh deich gcúiseanna is fiche a phlé ós cóir breithimh ag a raibh baint leis an Aireacht féin. Do dineadh oifig d'oscailt ar son na ndaoine atá gan obair chun obair d'fháil dóibh, agus chun congnamh a thabhairt dóibh.
Tá Muinntir na Croise Báine ag cabhrú linn chun stáid na tíre agus muinntir na tíre a chur ar aghaidh i nDún na nGall, i gCiarruidhe, i gConnamara, agus i gCill Mhantáin.
Sé méid airgid a chaitheamair na breis is céad púnt go leith; is ar éigin a bhí an dá chéad ann.
Na theanta san is uile, ón gcéad lá de mhí Feabhra, isí Aireacht Oibreachais Dháil Éireann atá i mbun "badhcat" Bhéil Feirsde. Níl baile ná sráid-bhaile ar fud na tíre ná go bhfuil coiste ann chun na hearraí a thagann as Béal Feirsde a chimeád as an áit, agus go dtí an chéad lá a dtáinig sos sa gcogadh so againn-ne, ní raibh cúil ná cúinne i ndeisceart na hEireann, 'na raibh na hearraí seo ag teacht.
Siad an oifig chéanna agus na coistí céanna a chuireann badhcat na n-earraí Sasanacha i bhfeidhm. Rud eile, do sgríobhadh leabhrán ar na cruadhtain d'fhulaig na Cataoilicig i mBéal Feirsde le déanaí. Cuirfear an leabhrán so i gcló i gceann tamaillín.
The work of the Labour Ministry deals largely with the settlement of strikes and disputes. It is the intention of the Labour Department of Dáil Eireann to oust the British Ministry of Labour, which has sought to act as an arbitrator for the settlement of wages in Ireland. We have seen the want of success attending the efforts of the Government institution in England, but it is our intention to set up a real Ministry of Labour in Ireland with the object of settling disputes in a manner satisfactory to both parties.
Of course, arbitration will only be undertaken at the request of both parties to the dispute. In March last a scheme for the erection of local conciliation boards was set up, and up to the present had been considered by 88 public bodies, 70 of which had already adopted it.
The great problem of unemployment has been exercising our minds, and I must here acknowledge the great help that has been given to us by the Labour Party of Ireland. They have been in the true sense of the word a Labour Party, because they have not allowed any class interest to interfere with the progress of the nation as a whole.
Owing to the exigencies, a great part of our work in the Labour Ministry was in connection with the Belfast Boycott.
This boycott is a weapon placed in our hands on account of the murders in Belfast of people, simply because they refused to sign away their rights to think as they though best on matters of religion and politics.
The pogrom which disgraced Belfast last year needed punishment, and Dáil Eireann had decided to boycott Belfast until such times as the pogromists saw fit not to victimise people for their religious and political beliefs.
On February 1st I took charge of the boycott, and since that time the work has gone forward well. Twelve organisers and 400 committees were appointed and, with the possible exception of the Counties Antrim and Down, it was almost impossible for a Belfast merchant to sell a pennyworth of goods in any part of Ireland. The work of organisation would, of course, be impossible were it not for the co-operation of the I.R.A. The assistance of Irish Labour was also of great help to us, because wherever Labour was told not to handle Belfast goods they acceded to that request. Some of the firms in Dublin with the biggest names saw fit to trade with Belfast, but every one of these had in the end to pay a fine of £100 to the Finance Department of Dáil Eireann and to sign an apology for having broken the boycott. The Belfast merchants used every ruse to break the boycott, and a number of cross-channel firms had helped them. A Black List of these was issued, with the result that managing directors asked them for God's sake to take off the boycott, professing to have great sentimental as well as business interests in Ireland. What showed the strength and effectiveness of the boycott was that more bankruptcies took place in Belfast during the half-year ended June 30 than at any other period within living memory. The executive portion of the British boycott was also in charge of the Labour Department. The piecemeal nature of the boycott has naturally had the effect of making it not so drastic as the Belfast boycott, but, as it progresses, I think it will have at least as good an effect. The Northern Banks have also been excluded from the rest of Ireland.
I am sorry to say that in a couple of areas in North-West Connaught the Belfast boycott has not been so successful as it might be. The Truce does not mean that the Belfast boycott is off, but only that drastic action cannot be taken at present.
I propose that discussion of the Report be referred to the Private Session.
M.J. CROWLEY, V.S.:
I second that.
Passed unanimously.
The following were the Reports from the Labour Department circulated to members of An Dáil :—
19th May, 1921.
Report of the working of the Labour Department under the following Ministers and substitute Ministers:—
(1) Madame Markievicz, T.D.
(2) Alderman T. Kelly, T.D. (Substitute).
(3) J. McGrath, T.D. (Substitute).
The only record I possess of the activities of the Labour Department under the direction of Alderman T. Kelly is a small file on which appears an Interim Report for the period ending 25/10/19, a copy of which I subjoin.