asked the Minister for Finance if a decision has yet been made on the application made by the Federation of Rural Workers for a 42½ hour five day week all the year round for Office of Public Works employees.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Board of Works Employees.
34.
The application by the Federation was made on behalf of drainage workers whose weekly working hours are related to those of county council road workers. The Federation maintained that most county councils are now operating a 42½ hour week. My information is that that is not the case. The Commissioners of Public Works are unable to concede the claim at this stage, but they will keep the matter under observation.
Might I say that the Parliamentary Secretary is particularly ill-informed if he thinks it is not the case that most county councils are now operating a 42½ hour 5-day week. The evidence that they are has been made available and officials of his Department can easily check it if they take the trouble. I would add that everybody else in the Office of Public Works, except the ordinary workers, are working less than a 42½ hour 5-day week, but of course these are only labourers.
I am perfectly satisfied that the information available to the Office of Public Works is at least as adequate as the information Deputy Tully has.
Would the Office of Public Works go to the trouble of checking with the Department of Local Government who will be only too glad to give them the evidence that more than half of the county councils are at present working a 42½ hour 5-day week?
The Commissioners have all the relevant details.
They are not using them.
They are.
They will not use them for ordinary labourers.