Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 8 Nov 1950

Vol. 123 No. 3

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployed Ex-Soldiers.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he is aware that hundreds of ex-soldiers of the Defence Forces, who gave honourable service to the country over a long period, are unemployed in the City of Dublin and compelled to support their wives and families on family incomes not exceeding 30/- a week, and whether the Government can hold out any hope of better conditions to these citizens to whom the nation owes so much.

The number of men of all ranks discharged from the Army during the five years—1945 to 1949— was approximately 34,000. The number of these on the live registers throughout the country on the 28th October last, was 1,819 or about 5.3 per cent. The average number of insured persons unemployed during 1949 was 9 per cent. (Irish Trade Journal, March, 1950, page 48). The lower percentage of unemployment amongst ex-servicemen as compared with the general percentage must be attributed to the special efforts of the Government, in co-operation with a large number of employers, to resettle demobilised men in civil employment.

The number of ex-servicemen on the live registers of the Dublin Unemployment Exchanges on the 4th instant was 707. Of these 689 had employment for some period or periods since discharge from the army. Five hundred and eighty-five of the registrants are seeking work in unskilled occupations, and employment in these occupations, as the Deputy is aware, is frequently of an irregular character. Only 86 of the applicants are seeking skilled employment and 36 clerical work.

Since 1946, a full-time Public Relations Officer of the Army Benevolent Fund has been specially appointed to engage in canvassing employers for employment for demobilised men. The Employment Exchanges in Dublin actively co-operate with this officer and, in addition, maintain at their offices registers of employers who have intimated that they are prepared to give preference in their employment to ex-servicemen. The Employment Exchange officials keep in constant touch with these employers and others. I am satisfied that everything is being done on behalf of these men who remain on the register.

All but 13 of the 707 ex-servicemen on the registers are in receipt of either unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance. I have no details of the full family incomes of these registrants.

Will the Minister say why he selected the years 1945 to 1949 for the purpose of the answer when the question dealt with ex-soldiers of the Defence Forces who were discharged and was not limited to the period for which the Minister answered? If I may put it this way to the Minister, is not he aware that service in the Defence Forces prior to the periods mentioned by him justifies and entitles the Government to take steps to provide employment for the persons mentioned in my question?

I am sorry I have not the information the Deputy asks for as to the particular reason for taking these years, but I imagine that five years is a reasonable period for the purpose of considering statistics.

Barr
Roinn