asked the Minister for Labour if payments due to managers of employment exchanges in respect of additional remuneration are usually held over for a period of four to five weeks after becoming due; and, if so, if he will indicate the reasons for such retention.

Branch managers' additional remuneration is based on a four-week period and must be calculated from returns of the work performed in that period. Normally payment is made within four weeks of the end of each period. Occasionally the issue of payments takes longer and this has occurred twice in the last six months.