asked the Minister for Lands if he is aware that workers are being brought a distance of six and a half miles to work at Emill Forest, County Tipperary while at the same time workers at Cloughjordan forest, only one and a quarter miles away from Emill Forest, are being laid off and cannot be re-employed; and if he will ensure that the workers laid off at Cloughjordan are employed at Emill Forest rather than bringing men from much greater distance.

I am not so aware. There is only one man employed at Emill property of Roscrea forest, and he is from Cloughjordan. The Deputy's question may refer to an occasion early in the year, when a gang of men normally employed at Busherstown property and including one man from Cloughjordan were brought to Emill property for about two weeks to ensure the completion of certain urgent planting operations.

I presume that the Minister made inquiries in the Forestry Department when this question was put down and that this is actually the text of their reply. I want to inform the Minister that it is completely wrong. I just want to point out that the Emill Forest was taken over by the Cloughjordan forestry workers and they travelled a mile and quarter, just over the bridge. Since the lay-off of the workers, workers have been brought from Moneygall, 6¾ miles away, to replant some of the forestry work in Emill.

I cannot add to the information I have given the Deputy. My information is that there is only one man employed on the Emill property and he is from Cloughjordan.

Those other workers were down there evidently earlier in the year.

Would the Minister further investigate this situation?

I will investigate and I will give the Deputy the information I receive.

16.

asked the Minister for Lands if he is aware that when forestry workers were being laid off at Cloughjordan forest, County Tipperary some workers with farms and other sources of income were kept on, while workers with no other sources of income were laid off; and if he will investigate the whole situation regarding the laying off of workers at this forest.

Where men have to be laid off it is the practice to take into consideration such factors as family and financial circumstances, number of dependants, regularity of attendance, length of service and in particular quality and output of work, and attitude to work generally. I may add that of the nine men laid off at Cloughjordan property of Roscrea forest seven were single, and of the 36 men retained all but one are married with dependants in most cases. I am satisfied that the local forestry officials acted with due regard to all the relevant known circumstances.

I understand that all were married, with the exception of one.

All of whom were retained.

Can the Minister give any reason why one single man was kept on?

There was a very good reason, because the one single man kept on who has, I understand, seven year's service, lives at the entrance to one of the properties and is also the caretaker. It is therefore clearly in the Department's interest to keep him on.

I think that the Minister has got mixed up. His answer is completely mixed up.

I think the Deputy is mixed up.

I am not. The one man who was kept on is a landowner who happens to be secretary of the local Fianna Fáil cumann. He was also at a reception at which he met the Minister for Lands this time 12 months.

He got the golden handshake on a minor scale.

I have pointed out that the men who were retained were all married men, in most cases with dependants, except for this one single man who, because he lives at the entrance to one of the forestry properties and is a caretaker, should be retained. His service is obviously necessary.

Caretaker of what? Of the Fianna Fáil Party?

Caretaker of the forest.