asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the conditions of employment on land reclamation schemes and in particular the rates of wages and the number of hours of work per day and per week, the maximum distance workers are expected to travel; whether there are any preferences in operation for the selection of workers; whether conditions are formally made known to applicants for employment; and whether any procedure has been laid down through which those employed may seek to have their legitimate grievances investigated.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Conditions of Land Reclamation Workers.
I presume the Deputy is referring to workers engaged by my Department locally as required to carry out operations under the land project. In the several matters which the Deputy mentions, my Department follows its normal practice which, I take it, is already familiar to the Deputy.
It is not familiar to the Deputy. I wonder if the Minister would give it, for the information of the House? I am sure there are other Deputies interested as well as I am on this matter.
The answer is that the normal procedure is followed.
What is the normal procedure, may I ask?
In what particular?
What are the rates of wages, for example, and the hours which these men are expected to work?
The ordinary agricultural rates obtaining in the area for certain types of workers. The rates appropriate to the degree of skill and experience which skilled workers have. Unless the Deputy desires me to recapitulate the remuneration of every officer of my Department, from the director down to the labourer, who is involved in this project, I cannot answer the question in detail. If the Deputy cares to put down a question requiring the remuneration of every officer of the Department employed on work in connection with the project, I will be glad to do what I can to furnish him with that detailed information.
I am not really asking for information with regard to officers of the Department. I am asking for particulars of conditions under which those who applied for employment at the local employment exchanges are given work on these schemes. Do I understand from the Minister that the rates of wages and the conditions approximate roughly to those on normal agricultural employment?
It all depends. For manual workers, yes; but in connection with the operation of this project the proportion of highly skilled workers receiving the remuneration appropriate to skilled workers is very high and it is not possible for me—unless the Deputy desires the information in the exhaustive form I have suggested—to give him those particulars. If he wants to have the rates of wages paid to every individual, I will do my very best to collect the information for him and furnish it to him by way of Parliamentary answer or personal communication.