asked the Minister for Finance whether it is true that men from Athy district have been refused employment on the Barrow Drainage Works, whilst others from distant counties have been taken on, and, if so, whether, in view of the fact that owing to the straitened financial position of the County Kildare Board of Health, they are unable to give reasonable Home Assistance to the destitute unemployed, he will give instructions to employ local men where possible.

The labourers on the Barrow Drainage Works are employed as they are required, and are taken as nearly as possible from the districts in which works are in progress. It is not the case that there is any discrimination exercised against men from Athy or the immediate district. It is true that none of the foremen or gangers are local men, in pursuance of a policy found by long experience to be a sound one on works of this nature.

asked the Minister for Finance whether he is aware of the inconvenience and consequent hardship to the men working on the River Barrow Drainage Scheme and their families owing to the irregular (Wednesday and Friday) fortnightly payments of wages, and whether he will give instructions that payments be made in future with reasonable punctuality on a fixed payday.

Instructions will be given with a view to avoiding delay in the preparation and transmission of the pay sheets, and ensuring payment of wages as far as possible on a fixed payday in the case of the Barrow works.