§ Sir M. DOCKRELLasked the Minister of Labour how many Irish soldiers have been demobilised; for how many of these employment has been found; what is the 77W percentage of unemployment amongst them as compared with that amongst demobilised British soldiers; what agencies are at work; and to what extent have the services of influential civilians been availed of in the endeavour to find employment for Irish soldiers?
§ Sir R. HORNEThe number of demobilised ex-Servicemen in Ireland is believed to be about 76,000. The number drawing out-of-work donation on the 24th October was about 35,000, leaving 41,000 as reabsorbed in industry. The percentage of unemployment among ex-Service men in Ireland is thus 46 per cent., as against 10 per cent, for Great Britain, and 11 per cent, for the United Kingdom as a whole. The official agencies working to find employment for ex-Service men in Ireland are the Employment Exchanges and the local branches of the Appointments Department of the Ministry of Labour, with a special staff of canvassers. Prominent civilians and ex-Service men are actively co-operating with the Ministry as honorary correspondents of the Appointments Department or as members of the Central Committee for ex-Service men, with local committees throughout Ireland.