asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he is aware that employment exchanges under the control of the Government are utilised for the purpose of recruiting prospective emigrants for employment by firms outside the country; and, if so, whether, having regard to recent pronouncements made by the Taoiseach, he has considered the advisability of allowing the machinery of State to be utilised to promote, facilitate or assist emigration in this manner; and, if so, with what result.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Recruitment of Emigrants.
The employment exchanges are not used for recruiting workers for employment outside the State. That being so, the rest of the question does not, strictly, arise, but I may say that I see no reason to alter the long-standing arrangements in the employment exchanges in regard to such employment, the purpose of which is not to promote, facilitate or assist emigration but to implement the restrictions on emigration imposed by the Government from time to time.
I am sure the Minister will forgive me if I suggest that he has not given me a candid answer to my question. Is it not a fact that recruiting agents for British firms attend labour exchanges and there arrange for the emigration of unemployed workers who are registered in the exchanges? Is that a fact or is it not?
I resent the Deputy's innuendo that I did not give a candid reply. I gave the Deputy the information he requested and if he had asked Deputy Norton the same question when he was in office he would have got the same reply.
That is not answering my question. I am not suggesting that this is a new practice started by the present Minister, but I asked the Minister would he not consider that this practice should now be discontinued in view of the statements made by the Taoiseach as to the conditions of workers in England. Surely he will discuss that without hedging.
There is no hedging.
Is it not a fact that labour exchanges are used to put unemployed workers in touch with recruiting agents from British firms?
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give particulars of the total number of workers recruited for employment in Britain through the employment exchanges at Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Tralee, Killarney, Galway, Sligo and Ballina in the months of July, August and September last.
The employment exchanges do not recruit workers for employment in Britain and I am unable, therefore, to give the information the Deputy asks for. I propose, with your permission, a Chinn Chomhairle, to circulate with the Official Report a statement showing the numbers of men seeking employment in Britain who, at the exchanges and in the months named in the question, were passed as not affected by the restrictions on emigration. Information is not available as to how many of these men, in fact, travelled to Britain for employment.
Following is the statement:—
Number of men, seeking employment in Britain, passed by certain local offices of the Department of Social Welfare in the months of July, August and September, 1951, as not affected by the restrictions on emigration.
|
Local Office |
July, 1951 |
August, 1951 |
September 1951 |
|
Dublin |
36 |
21 |
61 |
|
Cork |
24 |
20 |
10 |
|
Limerick |
21 |
1 |
9 |
|
Tralee |
3 |
Nil |
Nil |
|
Killarney |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
Galway |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
Sligo |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
Ballina |
1 |
Nil |
Nil |
N.B.—Information is not available as to the numbers shown in table who, in fact, travelled to Britain to take up employment.
Will the Minister agree that the names of the men who, according to the local exchange, are suitable for emigration are handed over to recruiting agents from British firms?
No, they are not.
Will the Minister be prepared to take steps to discontinue the practice whereby agents of British firms attend the employment exchanges?
The Deputy is endeavouring to give a wrong impression in this matter which has been in practice for many years. The names are not handed to recruiting officers from Great Britain but if an employer in Britain asks to have a man sent over for work, he is checked on by the employment exchange to see if there is any restriction against him for any reason. If there is no restriction he is told that he is quite free to go to work in Great Britain.
Am I right in saying that an interview takes place in the employment exchange between officers of the employment exchange, the emigrant and the recruiting agent from the British firm?
That may happen but not for recruiting purposes. The agent for the British employer must first get a request from the employer in Great Britain; secondly, he must get the permission of the intending emigrant; and thirdly he must get leave from the employment exchange before the person is allowed to go.