asked the Minister for Labour if he will state in relation to the number of people declared redundant in the past year the proportion of them over the age of (1) 40 years, (2) 50 years, and (3) 60 years; and if he will state the numbers who have since been re-employed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Redundancy Statistics.
23.
The number of redundancies notified under the Redundancy Payments Acts to my Department for the year ending 30th June, 1973, was 8,688—5,962 men and 2,726 women.
The detailed information requested by the Deputy is not available to me at this time but I am investigating the possibility of being able to provide the type of information which the Deputy is seeking.
In respect of the last part of my question, would the Minister be able to state the number who have since been re-employed?
As I say, it is a statistical facility which apparently is not available at present. I am considering the feasibility of providing the kind of statistical service which is not required to give exact information of the kind——
Would the Minister not agree that a Department or a section of a Department is failing in its duty if it is unable to provide such information, which is relatively simple to provide — the numbers declared redundant and the numbers who are re-employed.
The Deputy is engaging in an argument.
I do not know about the question of failing in one's duty, but any change of Government can lead to improvements in a Department at any time.