asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if his attention has been drawn to a report concerning a meeting of Donegal Vocational Education Commmittee at which allegations were made that children under 14 years were working in factories; and what steps he proposes to take to have this situation corrected in the interests of these children.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment of Children in Factories.
55.
I have seen a newspaper report of a meeting of County Donegal Vocational Education Committee which stated that the committee was informed that persons under 14 years of age were being employed in factories.
The conditions of Employment Act, 1936, prohibits the employment in industrial work of persons under 14 years of age. Inspectors of my department keep a check on this matter in the course of their normal inspections of factories. If I am furnished with the name and address of any employer alleged to be employing persons under 14 years of age in industrial work at present, I will have the matter specially investigated.
The Parliamentary Secretary, if he has read the newspaper reports, is aware that a reverend gentleman and a member of the Fianna Fáil Party made this statement and I have no reason to doubt that both of those people were stating a fact. Would it not be easy for the Parliamentary Secretary to inquire from them—
This is tied in with the investigation of the attendance of school children at school up to the prescribed minimum age of 14 years.
That is not what I am asking but is what I was about to ask. Would the Parliamentary Secretary answer what I have already asked?
I take it the Deputy means would we make inquiries to see if this can be substantiated. If the Deputy knows anything more than we know, perhaps he would let us have his information.
I will furnish the Parliamentary Secretary with the details but I would also ask him if he will consult with the Minister for Education and close the loopholes, inasmuch as national school children can attend a vocational school and slip through the net of the Department of Education to ensure that children do attend a national school.
I will certainly do that, and anything to prevent children under 14 from working.