asked the Minister for Local Government whether representations have been made by his Department to leading industrialists and employers to provide facilities for the housing of their employees; and, if so, whether he will give the names of the firms to which such representations have been addressed and the result to date of these representations.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing of Industrial Employees.
During the past year my predecessor on a number of occasions invited the co-operation of large employers of labour in the general housing programme by building houses for their employees. In April of this year he sent a personal appeal to several hundreds of industrial and commercial firms where not less than 50 persons are employed and which might be expected to be in a favourable position to provide the necessary capital for housing purposes. Local authorities have been invited to supplement this list, and as a result a similar appeal is being addressed to other concerns which might be in a position to cooperate in the housing drive.
Messrs. Arthur Guinness, Son and Co., Ltd., the Irish Sugar Co., Ltd., and a number of other concerns have already made arrangements for the building of houses for their employees. I think it would be premature at this stage to indicate in any more detail the reaction of other individual firms.