asked the Minister for Fisheries if he will state whether there are any men employed as gangers in County Galway under the Irish Land Commission who own farms of 20 acres of land or more, and, if so, if he will state the number; also, whether in view of the present position of unemployment in that county, he will consider the advisability of employing men on such work who have no land or other means of livelihood.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - EMPLOYMENT OF GANGERS.
In the interest of the efficient supervision of men engaged on improvement works it is essential for the Land Commission to secure men of experience and reliability as gangers. It occasionally happens that some of the gangers temporarily employed are small farmers but their employment is generally necessary owing to their experience and their satisfactory record.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not consider the advisability of taking on men who are capable of doing the work and not men who have 20, 30 or 50 acres of land of their own as some of these men have?
If you are going to have the maximum amount of employment given under relief works you must employ men to control those works that have experience.
You have men unemployed at present who have experience. Let the big farmers stay at home and mind their farms.
Is the Minister aware that in Connemara a ganger was appointed and the only qualification he had was that he was a police pensioner with £200 per year?
Many of these men have been employed by the Land Commission for years. Some of these men have had long service under the Congested Districts Board. They are all men of experience and thoroughly reliable and we are perfectly satisfied that they have given entire satisfaction and they see the money is spent to the best advantage.