asked the Minister for Finance what system of recruitment of workmen is operated in the case of rural improvements schemes in County Limerick.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Limerick Rural Improvement Schemes.
10.
The same recruitment regulations apply to Rural Improvements Schemes in Co. Limerick as in all other parts of the country. They provide for the recruitment of workmen in the following order of preference:
(1) Recipients of unemployment assistance registered at the local offices of the Department of Social Welfare.
(2) Unemployment benefit claimants similarly registered.
(3) Beneficiaries of the scheme who have contributed to the cost, and any persons registered as non-claimants at the local offices of the Department of Social Welfare.
(7) Other unemployed persons in the area, preference being given as far as possible to the most necessitous cases.
The same preference operates in the case of bog development schemes. In the case of minor employment schemes, which are in operation only from November to March, recruitment is confined to persons in receipt of unemployment assistance. Where a work is expected to be of fairly long duration and there is a large number of unemployed persons qualified for employment, the gang may be changed after six weeks, so as to give other men a turn of employment.
I assume the Deputy's Question is related to the recruitment arrangements made in respect of a bog development scheme in Gortnagross town-land, Rathronan electoral division, which was sanctioned on the 22nd August, 1960, and on which work commenced on 27th September, 1960. The local offices of the Department of Social Welfare submitted on 20th September, 1960, lists of 27 names of persons in receipt of unemployment assistance and unemployment insurance benefit. Work was available on the scheme for a ganger and eight labourers only. As the scheme, costing £800, was expected to last for a considerable period, the panel of workers was changed at the end of the six weeks, the second panel of labourers being selected from lists of 17 names supplied by the local offices of the Department of Social Welfare on 3rd November, 1960.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that in the case of rural improvement schemes the first preference in the matter of employment for those who wish it should be given to contributors?
I am afraid I can hardly agree. There are two schools of thought on the subject. One view taken is that those people are already securing a benefit by having the work carried out for them.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not consider that in the cases where the valuations are small and where they actually need employment, it is unfair——
In the cases where the valuations are small, it very often turns out, particularly in the congested areas, that they are registered.
They are not always registered.
Has that always been the rule?
As far as I know.
No, it has not. In the Inter-Party Government, the contributors got first preference, those who made the scheme possible.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary advert to the fact that in the congested areas a number of these schemes may become impossible if the contributor is not assured that he can earn back his contribution by his own labour?
There may be occasional cases, but, by and large, the scheme works out pretty well as it is being administered. On the other hand, if we were to assure contributors of employment, we would have men with very high valuations securing employment, while registered men in the neighbourhood would remain unemployed.