asked the Minister for Labour whether he announced that the 1st May, 1974, will be a public holiday; and, if so, the date of such announcement.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Public Holiday Announcement.
13.
The Minister did not announce that the 1st May, 1974, would be a public holiday.
Will the Minister state whether the Minister for Labour indicated at some stage that he proposed to make May 1st a public holiday? Can the Minister clear up the confusion which arose in the minds of workers as to the Minister's statement in this respect?
The Minister attempted to dispel any confusion which might exist in the minds of workers by issuing a statement that it was not intended to designate 1st May a public holiday. He has taken every step open to him by doing that.
Why did the Minister for Labour deem it necessary to make that subsequent statement?
A statement appeared last January in a Sunday paper and, following that, in a daily paper to the effect that the Minister proposed to increase the number of public holidays to nine and saying also that he proposed to bring in a Bill to declare 1st May a public holiday. There were then apparently a number of phone calls and the Minister made this statement.
Question No. 14. We must pass on to the next question.
Why did the Minister for Labour wait until now if the original statement appeared last January?
We cannot have an argument.
Understandably enough, the Minister did not consider the unconfirmed report which had appeared in the paper to be worth denying. Many statements appear in newspapers and elsewhere which are not true and one cannot deny them all. He only denied this when it appeared that a number of people believed it.
I thought the Minister said that there were phone calls?