asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he will take steps to introduce proposals for legislation at an early date to provide holidays for agricultural workers on conditions similar to those applicable to industrial workers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Agricultural Workers and Holidays.
The question of making statutory provision for the grant of holidays to agricultural workers was very carefully examined before the Holidays (Employees) Act, 1939, was enacted. The practical difficulties of applying that measure to agricultural workers were, however, found to be too great. Those difficulties still exist and, on the whole, I do not think it would be advisable to introduce legislation on the lines suggested by the Deputy.
Does the Minister not consider it unfair that agricultural workers should be specially discriminated against to such an extent that they have not this right, whilst it is provided for every industrial worker in a variety of grades? Would the Minister consider bringing the matter to the notice of the Government, with a view to having legislation introduced to provide this now virtually universal right for all classes of workers?
The Deputy must remember that, in 1938, when the Holidays (Employees) Act, 1939, was before the Dáil, Deputy Lemass, who was the Minister introducing that Bill, dealt with the question of agricultural workers and, as far as I can find from the official debates at the time, no Deputy here ever referred again to the agricultural labourers or made any case that they should be included, as it was quite clear that they were in a different position from other employees.
Does the Minister not realise that it was expected that agriculture would be dealt with in a separate category, in the same way as domestic, employees and other workers? On what grounds does the Minister state that agricultural workers are not entitled to holidays, when they are provided for other workers?
The conditions are altogether different.
Admitting that they are different, and that the pay is different, is there any reason why agricultural workers should not get this right in the same way as all other workers? The Minister is responsible for agriculture and should be the first to insist that these workers be not overlooked when social benefits of this kind are being considered.
That is quite right.
But the Minister is overlooking them.
No, they are not being overlooked.