asked the Taoiseach if he will state, in each case, the amount of money now required to restore the purchasing power of the minimum weekly rates prescribed by the Agricultural Wages Board, with effect from 28th May, 1956, in respect of (a) County Dublin, (b) County Meath, and (c) County Waterford.
Written Answers. - Purchasing Power of Wages.
The best available indicator of the general purchasing power of money is the Consumer Price Index. Between mid-May, 1956, and mid-August, 1957 (the latest date for which figures are available) this index (base mid-August, 1947=100) increased by 6.7 per cent. from 134 to 143, and, by reference to this rise, the minimum weekly wage rates in question would need to be increased by 6.7 per cent. to restore their purchasing power in mid-August, 1957, to the purchasing power in mid-May, 1956. The amounts of money required are shown in detail (to the nearest penny) in the following table which is based on the minimum weekly wage rates for males for a "week in which 50 hours' work is done (exclusive of work on Sunday or weekly half-holiday)" published in the Agricultural Wages (Minimum Rates) Order, 1956:—
TABLE showing estimates of the amounts of money required in mid-August, 1957 to restore the purchasing power of the prescribed minimum weekly wage rates for males to their purchasing power in mid-May, 1956.
|
Males Aged |
Increase required to restore purchasing power of the prescribed minimum weekly wage rate |
|||||
|
in Group A Areas |
in Group B Areas |
in Group C Areas |
||||
|
s. |
d. |
s. |
d. |
s. |
d. |
|
|
19 years and over |
7 |
1 |
6 |
9 |
6 |
5 |
|
18 years and under 19 |
6 |
1 |
5 |
9 |
5 |
4 |
|
17 ,, and ,, 18 |
5 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
4 |
8 |
|
16 ,, and ,, 17 |
4 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
The district in which the worker is employed decides the Group that applies to him. County Dublin is in Group A; County Meath, the County Borough of Waterford, the district electoral divisions of Waterford Rural, Ballynakill, Kilbarry, Faithlegg and Killoteran are in Group B; and the remainder of County Waterford is in Group C.
asked the Taoiseach if he will state in respect of each county council, respectively, the amount of money now required to restore the purchasing power of road workers' wages to the level obtaining at the operative date of the last increase as stated in a reply on 30th October, 1957.
The following table shows, on the basis of the numbers employed on 30th September last, the estimated additional weekly cost to each county council of increasing road workers' wages in proportion to the increase in the Consumer Price Index between the operative date of the last wage increase (as stated in a reply by the Minister for Local Government on 30th October, 1957) and mid-August, 1957 (the latest date for which the index has been computed). The Consumer Price Index, the best available indicator of the purchasing power of money, is available only in respect of mid-February, mid-May, mid-August, and mid-November each year, and the index nearest to the operative date of the last wage increase has been used throughout in the calculations made for this reply.
|
County Council |
Estimated weekly cost |
|
£ |
|
|
Carlow |
34 |
|
Cavan |
212 |
|
Clare |
186 |
|
Cork |
*957 |
|
Donegal |
336 |
|
Dublin |
191 |
|
Galway |
256 |
|
Kerry |
322 |
|
Kildare |
70 |
|
Kilkenny |
185 |
|
Laois |
138 |
|
Leitrim |
236 |
|
Limerick |
181 |
|
Longford |
144 |
|
Louth |
114 |
|
Mayo |
425 |
|
Meath |
129 |
|
Monaghan |
135 |
|
Offaly |
122 |
|
Roscommon |
242 |
|
Sligo |
66 |
|
Tipperary N.R. |
199 |
|
Tipperary S.R. |
142 |
|
Waterford |
229 |
|
Westmeath |
215 |
|
Wexford |
131 |
|
Wicklow |
158 |
*Exclusive of the higher rate payable in the neighbourhood of Cork City.