Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1939 > Committee of Public Accounts > Report - Appropriation Accounts 1936 - 1937

APPENDIX XI.

LABOURERS ON STATE FORESTRY WORK.

In connection with items Nos. 1012.1017 of the proceedings of the Committee of Public Accounts on 30th November last (Vote 55—Forestry), I undertook to furnish further information to the Committee in regard to a question raised by Deputy Smith as to why labourers employed on State Forestry work are not in the same category regarding holidays with pay as other labourers in similar employment. Particular attention was directed by the Deputy to the fact that the position of Forestry labourers in the matter of leave appeared to differ from that of labourers employed by the Land Commission.

Section 24 of the Conditions of Employment Act, 1936, provides that each worker in an industrial undertaking shall be allowed annual leave with pay. Labourers employed by the Land Commission on Improvement Works are industrial workers within the meaning of the Act, and as such have a statutory right to not less than six consecutive days’ annual leave with pay in every complete employment year. Forestry work, however, is specifically excluded in the definition of industrial work to be found in Section 3 of the Act, and consequently the Department of Lands have not authority to allow Forestry labourers annual leave with pay.

It is understood that the purpose of the Holidays (Employees) Bill, 1938, which is at present before the Oireachtas, is to provide for holidays with pay for workers (with certain exceptions) not covered by the Conditions of Employment Act, 1936, or the Shops (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1938. This Department will bebound by the ultimate provisions of that Bill in so far as they may affect Forestry labourers.

Accounting Officer.

21st December, 1938.