asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state the number of persons recorded by the employment exchanges in County Wexford as having emigrated to England for the purpose of taking up employment, for the period 14th June, 1951, to date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Co. Wexford Emigrants.
No records are available in my Department of the number of persons who emigrate to Great Britain for employment.
The numbers of men recorded as having sought facilities at employment exchanges in County Wexford, during the period 14th June, 1951, to 29th March, 1952, to enable them to obtain travel identity cards for that purpose and who were passed as free from the restrictions in force for the control of such emigration are as follows:— Wexford, eight; Enniscorthy, one; Gorey, five; New Ross, nil. There are no restrictions on the issue of travel identity cards to women, nor are there any restrictions on their issue to men seeking them for purposes other than employment.
In view of the fact that travel identity cards and passports generally have been freely issued since the beginning of the emergency in 1939, is it possible that the Department of Social Welfare has no accurate record of people who emigrated to take up employment?
There are no records available in the Department of the number of persons who emigrated to employment in Great Britain. The function of the Department in regard to emigration is to determine the position under the governmental regulations for its control.
But surely it should be possible for the Department to keep a record of the number of labourers and skilled workers generally emigrating to Great Britain.
That would be too embarrassing.