asked the Minister for Lands if he will state (a) the location of the forestry centres where the incentive bonus scheme is in operation, (b) the number of workers at present employed in those centres, and (c) the average weekly bonus earned (per 48-hour week) per man in each centre in each month in 1958.
Written Answers. - Forestry Bonus Scheme.
41.
(A) Forests where the Incentive Bonus Scheme is in operation and current employment at those Forests.
|
Forest |
Number of men employed in week ended 20th February, 1959. |
Forest |
Number of men employed in week ended 20th February, 1959. |
|
Blessington |
26 |
Monasterevan |
36 |
|
Hollywood |
47 |
Clogheen |
39 |
|
Rossmore |
30 |
Knocktopher |
15 |
|
Saggart |
13 |
Glengarra |
30 |
|
Cahir |
35 |
Roscrea |
40 |
|
Dundrum |
22 |
Glen of Imaal |
30 |
|
Killakee |
23 |
Bansha |
38 |
|
Carrick-on-Suir |
28 |
Rathnew |
40 |
|
Enniskerry |
12 |
Urlingford |
46 |
|
Donadea |
29 |
Swanlinbar |
13 |
|
Edenderry |
5 |
Rathduff |
32 |
|
Slievenamon |
26 |
Aherlow |
34 |
|
Anner |
22 |
Callan |
29 |
Total No. of Forests: 26.
Total No. of Men: 740.
(B) Figures of monthly variation in bonus earnings at each individual Forest are not produced in the normal course of control and supervision of the operation of the Incentive Bonus Scheme and with the expansion of application of the Scheme their production would entail appreciable work. Such figures would not in themselves be adequate to indicate the true effectiveness of the Incentive Bonus Scheme since such factors as wet weather also have a bearing on the level of bonus earnings and can cause periodic fluctuations in bonus earnings at a particular forest even where productivity is constant or steadily climbing. A cautious approach by the workers to securing the benefits of an Incentive Scheme also commonly operates in the early stages of application and can affect the true productivity level from week to week. I consider, therefore, that no useful purpose would be served by the production and publication of monthly bonus earnings figures for each Forest.
Average earnings figures for all Forests are more easily furnished and give a truer picture of the progressive success of the Scheme. The following are figures for each month in 1958:—
|
Month |
Average bonus earned per hour. |
||
|
d. |
|||
|
April, 1958 |
7 |
||
|
May, 1958 |
4½ |
||
|
June, 1958 |
3¼ |
||
|
July, 1958 |
4½ |
||
|
August, 1958 |
4½ |
||
|
September, 1958 |
5 |
||
|
October, 1958 |
5 |
||
|
November, 1958 |
5 |
||
|
December, 1958 |
5 |
||
The figures are expressed on an hourly basis (that used in the Scheme). Conversion to a weekly basis for a full working week involves the assumption that the interplay of factors which determined bonus earnings would be unchanged if all the workers employed had given a full attendance. That assumption would be ill-founded.