asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is yet in a position to declare his policy with regard to the unemployed whose benefits were exhausted during the last benefit year.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS.
At the commencement of a new benefit year on 26th March last 44,568 claims to benefit were lodged. Of these it is estimated that 10,269 will be disallowed. Of the remainder, 34,299, it is estimated that 8,854, or 25.8 per cent., are entitled to benefit for 1 to 30 days, 7,541, or 22 per cent. for 31 to 60 days, and 17,904, or 52.2 per cent., for 61 to 90 days, the full allowance. Having regard to the season of the year, to the measures taken in the Budget to stimulate employment, and to the present state of the Unemployment Fund, I think it difficult to argue that these figures necessitate any present extension of benefit. The persons who have exhausted their rights are persons who have had relatively few contributions paid for them, that is, relatively little insurable employment, in the last four and a half years, and in having had their actual contributions multiplied already five times they have exhausted any reasonable claim to be provided for out of the Unemployment Fund.
Does the Minister suggest that because these 25 per cent. have not had very continuous employment or have had very discontinuous employment in the last three or four years, that therefore they are in a better position to withstand unemployment?
No; I simply stated that these people have exhausted any reasonable claim to be provided for out of the Unemployment Fund. If I argue from the fact that a number of people have been continuously out of employment for a certain time, there might be another interpretation put on that as to whether these people would ever be likely to come into employment if employment was offered to them. I have the fact before me that considerable vacancies still exist in the Army, and that in regard to domestic service, advertisements for servants bring very few replies, and while these two great classes of employment are open and not filling up, I cannot say that the people who are not in employment are necessarily without employment.
Is there not an age limit, and are there no physical tests as to health and physical standards to be complied with in the Army?
Yes, decidedly; but there are still a great number of people who come within these limits and have not applied for posts in the Army.
Then it is a case of hunger conscription?
It is a case of posts open that are worth £2 10s. a week and men will not apply for them. If that is to be described as hunger conscription, well, then, the Deputy can have his term.
The only hope then for the unemployed is to go into the Army on hunger conscription.
I have not said that.
I beg to give notice that I will raise this question of unemployment on the motion for the adjournment.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state why a claim for unemployment benefit was refused to Sylvester Murphy, Grange, Rathnure, Enniscorthy.
Sylvester Murphy of Grange, Rathnure, Enniscorthy, for whom only 38 contributions altogether had been paid, made a claim to benefit on the 24th of December last, on which he was allowed and paid benefit for 38 days. This exhausted all his contributions in the fund, and he was notified at the time that he could not therefore be paid further benefit until further contributions were paid for him. He has not since either appealed to the Court of Referees, as he might have done if dissatisfied with the decision, or made any further claim to benefit.