asked the Minister for Finance if he proposes, at an early date, to sponsor employment schemes, so that the thousands of citizens now unemployed, and those being demobilised from the Defence Forces, will be enabled to find remunerative employment.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment Schemes.
A sum of £1,250,000 has been provided in the Vote for Employment and Emergency Schemes. Many of the works are now in hands, and the remainder are likely to be so at an early date.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary say when any of these schemes are likely to start and if they will start in time to give employment to the many thousands now idle or those who will be demobilised during the next six to 12 months.
I have told the Deputy that many of these schemes are already in progress.
I am not talking about schemes in progress. I am asking if the Parliamentary Secretary will provide moneys for new schemes to absorb the new unemployed as well as the old.
I have told the Deputy that we are providing £1,250,000 for this purpose, that many schemes are in progress and the remainder will be sanctioned in a short time.
The Parliamentary Secretary is telling me of what has been done and about schemes that have been started, but there are thousands of other people waiting for further employment and I am asking for new schemes.
There is no appreciable change in the register of unemployed, when compared with the corresponding figure of last year.
May I inquire from the Parliamentary Secretary, in this connection, whether soldiers who are discharged from the armed forces and are in receipt of only nominal pensions will be debarred from employment on the schemes, inasmuch as the nominal pension would exclude them from the right to apply for unemployment assistance? Will such persons be allowed to enrol for employment on such schemes, without regard to their claims for unemployment assistance, whether they have a small pension or not?
The arrangements proposed for demobilised army personnel are outlined in the White Paper which was published last May.
Yes, but the Parliamentary Secretary is aware that, if an ex-soldier has a very small pension— say 15/- a week—he cannot apply for unemployment assistance. Under the existing regulations, a person who has not applied for unemployment assistance cannot be called from the labour exchange to work on schemes of this character. I am asking the Parliamentary Secretary if he will ensure that a fellow who served in the army and who has only a very small pension as a result of the short term of his service will not be excluded thereby from an opportunity to enrol for the purpose of being called to work, even though he is not entitled to unemployment assistance.
I have explained that the arrangements proposed for demobilised army personnel have been set out in the White Paper published last May. I cannot add anything to what is set out there.
But will fellows be allowed to go to these schemes if they wish?
In view of the unsatisfactory reply, I would like to give notice that I wish to raise this question on the Adjournment, with your permission, if Deputy Mulcahy's request is not accepted; and, if it is, I would ask permission to raise it to-morrow or at the earliest possible date next week. It is too serious a matter to let it drop.