andMr. Griffin asked the Minister for Education if he will sanction the payment of wages to permanent female attendants employed by vocational education committees during the summer holidays.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - VEC Female Attendants.
1.
I would refer the Deputies to my reply to Question No. 6 of 12 December 1978, in which I stated that I was having this matter investigated.
I will inform the Deputies of my decision when the investigation has been completed.
Could the Minister give an indication if these investigations will be carried out prior to this summer so that the female attendants will have continuing employment during the summer holidays?
Investigations are being carried out. Inquiries have been made to which replies have not yet been received. When those replies are received the matter can be examined further.
Surely it should not take so long to come to a decision. There are relatively few female attendants involved and an obvious injustice is being done to them in that their employment is terminated for a couple of weeks each summer. Surely the Minister could, with a stroke of his pen, give a ruling on the matter and instruct the various vocational education committees to continue their employment through the summer holidays.
It is not as easy as that. The Deputy may take it from me that the delay to date has not been caused by my Department. As I said the queries which were issued have not yet been replied to. In the absence of those replies, consideration of the matter cannot be proceeded with any further for the moment. However, the reminders have gone to the agencies and to the people to whom inquiries were sent.
Further arising out of the Minister's reply, on whom does he lay the blame for the delay?
I would not like to apportion blame to anybody in particular. I was merely indicating the position of the Department in the matter and in the matter of the promise which was made to have it investigated.
Will the Minister give an indication that he will have some definite answer for this coming summer season?
I cannot take responsibility for what other people might do. Reminders have gone out in connection with the inquiries which were issued.