asked the Minister for Labour if he will give details of the claim made to the EEC to help industry in the equal pay situation; the types of industries covered; and the number of jobs to be protected with such assistance.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Equal Pay Claim.
5.
Our claim for Community assistance is based on the consequences for employment that rejection of the Anti-Discrimination (Pay) (Amendment) Bill, 1975, by the Commission entails.
The details of our claim are included in a submission prepared after consultation between the Departments concerned, that is, the Departments of Finance, Foreign Affairs, Industry and Commerce and Labour.
In the submission the Government seek Community financial assistance towards job maintenance.
The industries involved are those with a high female content where there have been traditional differentials between the wage rates for men and women.
Taking into account the qualifying criteria under the Anti-Discrimination (Equal Pay) Act, 1974, it would not be possible at this stage to give reliable figures of the numbers of workers who might require assistance.
Is it not strange that at this point in time, mid-1976, there are no details of the possible or probable number of people who will be affected by this legislation? Is it not the continuing pattern of the Department to make no efforts to acquire the necessary statistical data in relation to all the areas of difficulty in our economy? Can the Minister say what areas of industry are experiencing difficulty in this regard and, also——
This is becoming more of a speech than a question.
I am putting a number of questions.
The Deputy ought to put his questions singly rather than in multiple or omnibus form.
With your permission, Sir, I shall leave the last question until the Minister has answered those I have put.
I thought the Deputy had just begun.
Am I to take it from that remark that the Minister was not listening to the previous questions?
There is no need for argument.
I would refer the Deputy again to the Anti-Discrimination (Pay) Act, 1974, into which are built various criteria which must apply before a person can qualify for equal pay. Knowing that, I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that it is not possible to get reliable figures of the number of people who would qualify under that Act.
Regarding the number of workers whose employment might be in difficulty as a result of the rejection of our Anti-Discrimination Pay (Amendment) Act, 1975 the question is one of the firm's competitive position and so on. This, taken in conjunction with the qualifications that would apply under the Anti-Discrimination Pay Act, 1974 will indicate to the Deputy that his comments on the lack of firm figures being available would not apply.
If what the Minister says is correct does it not appear that we are approaching Europe for assistance without knowing who or what we need to assist and without knowing the amounts of money involved?
Full discussions have taken place between the Departments concerned so it would not be helpful at this stage to go into the details of the submission. I have indicated to the Deputy already the difficulties that lie in the way of providing in the House figures of the kind required by him. There is both the nature of the Act of 1974 and the question of the competitive position of many firms in relation to the obligations of that Act.
Does it not appear that there is a reluctance on the part of the Minister to give the information to which we consider ourselves to be entitled? Is this another example of the contempt with which he treats the House or is he merely endeavouring to cover up for the situation whereby the necessary information is not available to the Department with the result that we are going to Europe seeking assistance without knowing what is involved?
Question No. 6.
May we take it that the Minister's silence indicates consent?
Can the Minister inform the House——
I have already allowed a good deal of time for this question but I will allow the Deputy to put a short supplementary.
——the headings of the EEC 1976 budget under which he has lodged his claim for assistance for these workers?
The original statement which emanated from the decision of the Commission in February was that the Commission would be available to bring forward ideas that allowed certain actions to assist the Government by way of arrangements available to us. In this area of assistance we would be seeking help from the Social Fund, the Regional Fund and from the Agricultural Guidance Fund, from each of which there is a possibility of assistance.
Is there any specific heading?
As the Deputy knows it has been a constant criticism in our whole contribution in Europe that the Community lack any particular instrument which they could devote to the purpose of job maintenance. That is a weakness in Community social policy to which we have referred here and elsewhere.
Arising further——
Order. I have called the next question.