asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the position of Irish seamen employed on British and Northern Ireland owned vessels so far as they are affected under the Unemployment Insurance Acts, and also the proposals for the future working of the Acts with reference to these men?
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - IRISH SEAMEN AND UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.
In relation to the Unemployment Insurance Acts, the position of seamen domiciled in the Free State is that, whilst employed on ships registered in Great Britain or Northern Ireland or on vessels (not being vessels registered in the Free State), owned or managed in Great Britain or Northern Ireland, they are excluded from the provisions of those Acts and are not liable to pay contributions under them, though the employer pays the part of the contributions which he would pay in respect of each of these men if they came within the Acts. Whilst employed on ships registered in the Free State or on ships (not being ships registered in Great Britain or Northern Ireland) owned or managed in the Free State, merchant seamen domiciled in the Free State come within the provisions of the Unemployment Insurance Acts in force in this country and are required to pay contributions in the ordinary way into the Unemployment Fund, out of which they are entitled to receive benefit when unemployed in the Free State.
As regards the future working of the Acts, with reference to these men, no question will arise with regard to the men who are insurable in, and pay contributions into the Unemployment Fund of, the Free State, as these men, when unemployed in the Free State, will be entitled to receive Benefit in proportion to the number of contributions so paid for them. In regard, however, to those who are excluded from the Act, it would be possible by reciprocal arrangements between the different Governments concerned to bring them within the scope of the Unemployment Insurance Acts. I have, however, been unable to obain consideration for any such reciprocal arrangements as would be fair to the Free State.