asked the Minister for Defence whether it is the practice of his Department, when employing casual labourers, to recruit men from the local employment exchange; and whether priority is given to those in receipt of unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Department of Defence: Employment of Casual Labour.
77.
Casual labourers are recruited by my Department, as required, through the local employment exchanges. Selection from among those submitted by the exchanges is made, on the basis of suitability for the work involved, by the employing officers who have no function in the matter of unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance.
Is the Minister aware that in the case to which specific mention is made in the next Question of mine, people were, in fact, recruited for work with his Department at Kilworth Camp who were State pensioners, while unemployed married men were left signing on at the employment exchange?
I understand there was one person who was a State pensioner employed, and that person was entitled to priority by reason of the fact that he was the possessor of a service medal in respect of military service during the period 1916 to 1922.
Is the Minister aware that it was accepted, in the district to which I am referring, that he and they were recruited only because of their allegiance to the Fianna Fáil Party?
An Old I.R.A. man is entitled to preference and that is only right.
I do not like to see a man with a wife and seven children starving on the streets, when a State pensioner is employed who has a son a Guard and another son also working.
This is the first occasion on which objection was taken to an old I.R.A. man getting employment.
Is it not a fact that at Athlone Barracks the best possible way for a civilian to procure employment as a labourer, a carpenter, or painter is to show he is a member of the Fianna Fáil organisation?
If an old I.R.A. man were a Free State soldier he would not get a job. If he were one of the soldiers who set up this State he would not get a job.
78.
asked the Minister for Defence if he is satisfied that the recruitment of labour by his Department for grant work at Kilworth Camp and at Fermoy Aerodrome, which commenced prior to Christmas, 1959, was carried out fairly, having regard to the pool of local unemployed labour.
The labour referred to by the Deputy was recruited by my Department in the normal way which is through the medium of the local employment exchange. I am satisfied that the recruitment was carried out fairly. The work referred to is not "grant work" as stated by the Deputy but the renewal of fencing on the Kilworth Camp lands and the provision of additional accommodation for the Officers' Mess at Fermoy Aerodrome.
Is the Minister aware that one of the employees recruited by his Department was not signing on at the exchange but was, in fact, the secretary of the local Fianna Fáil cumann?
They were all registered at the local employment exchange.
Will the Minister deny that he gave his Private Secretary instructions to select these men?
Is that what Deputy Sweetman was doing when he was in office?
I know what happened in this place.
I did not arrange that they must come from an adjoining county, like Deputy Sweetman did.
And I also know whose relation was concerned because I was down there myself.
They at least came from the same county. Deputy Sweetman will remember that at a certain military establishment they could come only from Kildare though the establishment was in another county.
I do not and, to my knowledge, no such regulation was made. I would welcome hearing about it.