asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether an application for unemployment benefit had been received from Mr. Thomas Collins, Ballyglass, Killsallagh, Castlerea, in September, 1924; whether although it is stated that this man is entitled to benefit he had not yet received any benefit, and whether he will explain the reason for the delay in paying benefit in this case.
WRITTEN ANSWERS. - UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT (CASTLEREA)
The first intimation my Department has had that Thomas Collins, of Ballyglass, Kilsallagh, Castlerea, was unemployed and desired to claim benefit was a letter dated the 28th October last, in which he enquired why he was not in receipt of benefit. There was no record at the Employment Exchange of any claim to benefit having been lodged by Mr. Collins, or of any communication from him expressing a desire to claim benefit and he was so informed in a communication addressed to him by the Manager of the Athlone Employment Exchange on the 29th October, to which he replied that he had applied for benefit about the 25th of August, but was unable to state the date on which he had forwarded his Unemployment Book or the number thereof. He was informed on the 3rd November that no communication in connection with a claim to benefit had been received from him prior to the 28th October, and that his claim would be dated from that date. The necessary forms to enable him to make a claim were duly despatched to him accordingly. These forms were returned improperly completed and had to be sent back to the applicant several times for amendment. It transpired later that Collins was actually in permanent employment on the 28th October, and that the period for which he was claiming benefit was that running from the 25th August to the 20th September. As it is a statutory condition for the receipt of benefit that a period of unemployment shall not have been deemed to have commenced until a claim has been made in the prescribed manner it is regretted that there is no legal power to pay benefit to Mr. Collins for the period in question.