asked the Taoiseach if he will state (a) the average minimum wage paid to farm workers, (b) the estimated number of wage-workers employed on farms in the Republic.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farm Workers' Wages.
(a) The average minimum weekly rate of wages of permanent male agricultural labourers, 19 years of age and over, computed on the basis of the Agricultural Wages (Minimum Rates) Orders, 1954-1956, is 96/9 at present. (b) The total numbers of males (excluding members of family) engaged in farm work on 1 June, 1955, the latest enumeration date for which information is available, are as follows:—Permanent, 60,172; temporary, 42,692. The corresponding particulars for females are not available.