asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he can state the number of persons formerly employed by road transport undertakings for whom employment was provided by (a) the Great Southern Railways Company; (b) the Great Northern Railway Company, and (c) the Dublin Tramways Company, on the transfer to them of the licences held by the previous employers of such persons; and further, whether he can state the number of persons for whom employment was not provided on the transfer of their employers' licences.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Road Transport Employment.
I am not in a position to give the information desired in regard to the railway companies as in most cases no difficulty was brought to my notice as to the transfer with the licence of all of the employees concerned. I may say, however, that the railway companies and the tramway company agreed, in deference to representations from me, to reduce to a minimum the unemployment which the reorganisation of transport services in pursuance of the provisions of the Road Transport Act, 1933, entailed.
I understand that the Dublin United Tramways Company absorbed 896 employees of acquired undertakings (including both voluntary and compulsory acquisitions) and that 162 have not been absorbed. There was considerable doubt as to whether a large proportion of the 162 referred to were, in fact, bona fide employees of the acquired concerns; 29 did not seek employment, and the remainder were found unsuitable on medical or other grounds.