asked the Minister for Finance whether he is aware that a large number of men are at present unemployed in the town of Swords and the surrounding area: and, if so, whether he will arrange to have a relief scheme initiated in the area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Swords Unemployment.
I am not aware of any exceptional unemployment in this area which would justify the sanction of special remedial measures at the present time.
The moneys specifically provided for the relief of unemployment are, as the Deputy is aware, allocated in the winter months, for the employment of men in receipt of unemployment assistance and a proportionate grant was made available for this purpose in the Swords area in the winter of 1949-50.
Surely the Parliamentary Secretary must be aware that quite a lot of men are unemployed in Swords. As a matter of fact more men are now idle in Swords than has been the case since 1931.
That is not so.
What is the population?
Approximately 3,000. Would the Parliamentary Secretary make further inquiries and see that my statement is true?
There are at present 43 men on the live register in Swords town and the two adjoining electoral divisions, of whom 19 are in receipt of unemployment assistance. At the present time the Local Authorities (Works) Act is being worked out to the extent of between £4,000 and £5,000 in the district. It seems reasonable to assume that in an agricultural area of this kind farm work should provide employment for any few men unemployed in the area.
The Parliamentary Secretary states that it is a farming area. He should have put it in the past tense. It was a farming area.
Before you migrated to it.