asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that seamen with home addresses in Arklow, who had unemployment insurance cards stamped in England, and who, when unemployed, applied for unemployment benefit at the Arklow Exchange, were refused same; if he will state the reason for such refusal, and whether he is prepared to reconsider these cases with a view to admitting them for payment.
CEIST—QUESTION. ORAL ANSWER. - ARKLOW SEAMEN'S UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT.
I find that a number of seamen claimed unemployment insurance benefit at Arklow, and have received, or will receive, benefit in the proportion of one day's benefit to every contribution to their credit on which I have power to pay benefit. Where benefit has not been paid, though contributions are to credit, it is because they are recent contributions paid after the setting up of the Free State, not into our Unemployment Fund, but into the British Fund. Recent contributions paid into the Unemployment Fund of Great Britain or Northern Ireland do not insure the contributors against unemployment in the Free State, though presumably their claims would be admitted in the country in which those contributions were paid. If the Deputy will furninsh me with particulars of the cases in question, I will have them investigated individually, but I cannot undertake to make any arrangement to give a particular class of claimant special rights in the Unemployment Fund not accorded to claimants generally.
Will the Minister say whether there is any change in the policy as from June last? Has there been any change in the policy in respect to unemployment insurance? Where insured persons stamped their cards in England, there were reciprocal arrangements up to the middle of the year. Has there been any alterations in those arrangements?
There have been certain reciprocal arrangements both with regard to Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The arrangement with Northern Ireland terminated. At present negotiations are going on with regard to this matter. I understand there has been no change in regard to Great Britain since June last.
May I suggest to the Minister that the answer does not indicate that there has been any change in respect to reciprocal arrangements?
The Deputy asked me had there been any change since June last with regard to Northern Ireland first, and with regard to Great Britain second. There has been a change with regard to Northern Ireland. We are trying to make arrangements to get the old reciprocal arrangement entered into. As regards Great Britain, I do not think there has been any change since June.
I do not want to bind myself to that date, because as late as July I think the Minister made some statement regarding the existence of reciprocal arrangements in respect to Great Britain, but he indicated that the reciprocal arrangement in regard to Northern Ireland had fallen. I am rather anxious to know whether there has been any recent change in reciprocal arrangements as between Great Britain and the Free State.
I have no knowledge of such, but it is a matter in regard to which I could make detailed inquiries. If the Deputy will put down a further question on the subject I will give him a fuller answer.