asked the Minister for Finance if before inviting by public advertisement turf workers to accept a wage of 32/- per week he adverted to the fact that hundreds of potential turf workers are emigrating to Great Britain every week where they obtain work at wages varying from £3 to £6 per week; whether he is aware that if a satisfactory arrangement is not made at once in regard to the rate of wages applicable to turf work, there will be nobody available this summer to cut turf or to save and gather it and, whether in the circumstances, he will indicate the steps he proposes taking to secure an adequate supply of turf for the people of this country before next autumn.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wages of Turf Workers.
The terms of the public advertisement inviting applications for work on turf production represent 36/- per week for a 54-hour week and a piece rate for the same period for good workmen of approximately 45/- with a purely nominal deduction of 5/- for full board and lodgings, and were issued after full consideration of the matters referred to. It is believed that these terms are adequate and that the real as distinct from the nominal value of present overseas wages may be more generally understood than the question suggests.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that last year, even when the workers were paid 35/- a week, there were continual stoppages, and that a deputation had to go to one corporation about the matter? Is it not likely that we will have many more stoppages this year, unless there is some sort of agreement as to what wages should be paid?
In relation to the whole turf campaign last year, covering the whole country, there were less stoppages and less trouble in relation to labour difficulties than in any other job in the history of this country. At the time when we had 35,000 men employed there was only a dispute in reference to 100 men, and that was a dispute which had no warrant whatever. I thought the Deputy was more concerned with a different aspect of the question, because the general question of wages is raised in five or six other questions.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary not aware that last year there were continual threats of men refusing to continue at work on turf because of broken time and lack of accommodation, there being no facilities provided? They are more conscious this year than last year of what they should get. I am surprised that the Parliamentary Secretary is not as conscious of that position as I am.
asked the Minister for Finance to state whether he has received representations from the Offaly County Council dealing with the rates of wages and conditions of service of turf workers employed by the county surveyor; whether he will state the conditions offered by the county surveyor acting as agent for the Government and the rate recommended by the Offaly County Council; if he will state the date upon which he received the recommendation from the Offaly County Council concerning this question, and the reply, if any, given.
The reply to the first part of the question is, yes. The county surveyor, who is acting under powers delegated to him by the county council at the beginning of the season, offered the men employment at last year's wages, that is 45/- for sleansmen and 36/- for others, for a 54-hour week. The rate recommended by the county council is 1/- per hour for a 54-hour week. The council's recommendation was brought to the Department's notice by the secretary to the county council in a letter dated 1st April, 1942, to which no reply has yet been given.
There are five or six other questions in relation to wages, all of which cover the same ground, and supplementary questions will undoubtedly arise out of them. I propose to answer all the supplementary questions later.
I take it that supplementary questions will be permitted on all the questions?
That is so.
It is simply to avoid having to answer each one separately.