asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that complaints are made that appeals to the Court of Referees in unemployment insurance cases in Dublin have been delayed for five or six weeks; that the applicants are sometimes destitute, and if, having regard to the fact that not being two years resident in the city debars many applicants from receiving home assistance from the local authority, he will have inquiries made with a view to expediting decisions in such appeal cases.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Insurance Appeals.
No delay occurs in the consideration of appeals by applicants for either unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance in Dublin. Sittings of the Court of Referees are arranged as frequently as necessary to dispose of appeals. Courts held yesterday and to-day dealt with all current appeals. Applicants for unemployment assistance residing in Dublin who have neither one year's residence nor three months' employment in Dublin in the year preceding their applications are not entitled to unemployment assistance.
The Deputy may not be aware that the only applications which reach Courts of Referees are those in which title to unemployment benefit or assistance is disputed, and consideration and recommendation by Courts of Referees is merely one of the prescribed stages in the determination of such cases. At all stages of the determination of disputed cases the greatest care is taken to ensure that applicants are afforded every facility for exercising their full statutory rights.
Does the same thing apply in the case of the Appeals Committee? I am informed that cases have taken over three months before they are dealt with, and that there are some of that type in hands at the moment?
I do not think so.
If it can be proved to the Minister that some cases before the Appeals Committee have taken three months before they were dealt with, will the Minister do something to speed them up, or do something to enable the people who are entitled to get relief to get relief from the Board of Assistance, or will the Minister suggest some other method of getting assistance?