asked the President whether, in view of the indication given by the Minister for Finance that the Government would welcome suggestions from Deputies for the solution of the unemployment problem, he will ask the Dáil to appoint a Committee to consider and report upon the causes of the continuance of widespread unemployment in Saorstát Eireann, and to recommend remedies therefor.
(CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS). (ORAL ANSWERS). - REMEDIES FOR UNEMPLOYMENT.
I do not consider that the setting up of a Committee on the lines suggested by the Deputy would be calculated to add to the existing information regarding causes of unemployment. So far as remedies for unemployment are concerned a Committee has already reported upon relief measures capable of immediate or early application. The remedy for unemployment due to general economic conditions lies in the improvement of those conditions, and the extent to which Governmental action can usefully be directed to this end is not a question which could be profitably referred to a Committee of the Dáil.
Is the President satisfied that the causes of unemployment have been sufficiently examined and that the matter of remedies has been sufficiently examined also?
They have been reported upon at very considerable length and they have been examined at great length also.
Have the reports not been rather in the direction of dealing with a temporary problem and not with the general problem of unemployment?
The general problem of unemployment was one of the matters examined by the Committee and it was reported upon at great length by that Committee.
Is the President aware that no employment has been found for any of the unemployed in Dublin City or elsewhere arising out of the Committee's recommendations?
No, sir. The Committee's recommendations have been examined with a view to finding a solution along the lines recommended, but success in that respect has not yet been achieved.
Will the President say to what extent, if any, effect has been given by the Government to the recommendations of the Committee?
Every possible effect has been given to the Committee's recommendations. All the recommendations have been accepted and acted upon.
Will the President mention one?
The question of the exploration of the economies of housing. That is one of the matters suggested by the Committee. They recommended that employment could be given during the winter period in that connection. Success in that matter, as I say, has not yet been achieved.
Is it not a fact that that Committee in their first Report stated that they did not consider it part of their duty to investigate the causes of unemployment and, in fact, they did not investigate the causes of unemployment?
That is another question altogether. The Committee was not asked to report upon the causes of unemployment; rather were they to recommend the means of dealing with unemployment.
The President has stated that the causes of unemployment have been investigated. By whom have they been investigated?
By practically every Department of the Government. Every Department has had the matter under consideration and very valuable information has been compiled in that respect.
Seeing that the Government has not been able to do anything really practical or effective in this matter, why should the Government not agree to try to get the assistance of all Parties?
The Deputy is assuming something to be the case which is not the case.
It is not assumption at all, but common knowledge.
Will the President say if his Party has done all that can be done to relieve the problem of unemployment?
It is not a question of Party—not what any Party can do. The whole problem is one of seeing what sensible constructive proposals can be put forward to relieve unemployment in the light of the circumstances existing. It is not a solution which will necessarily fall to any one Party, but rather to the whole of the State.
How can Parties in opposition possibly help in finding a solution if they have no opportunity of getting data and the information that is necessary?
They can do a lot by a little more sensible consideration of the problems which affect the country. A little more sensible consideration before people commit themselves to pronouncements would be one of the best methods of doing it.
The President during a recent debate stated that the Dublin building trade was working at full capacity during a particular time. Does he still state that? My information from the secretaries of the building trades is quite the contrary. At no time were they working at full capacity.
At no time? I think the Deputy is mistaken in that.
Yes, at no time.