asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he will expedite payment of unemployment insurance benefit to ex-Sergeant William Doolan, Droichead Nua Office, Army No. 4365, 25th Infantry Battalion, who attested on October 5th, 1922, and who was discharged on April 14th, 1925; and whether he is aware that this man as an employee of the Engineers' Department, Curragh Camp, had seventy stamps to his credit when he joined the National Army.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFIT.
A claim to unemployment benefit lodged by ex-Sergeant William Doolan on the 16th April last was disallowed under sub-section (4) of Section 8 of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920. Although 70 contributions were paid for Mr. Doolan between the 8th November, 1920, and the end of June, 1922, he is disqualified for receiving benefit because no contribution has been paid for him in the intervening insurance years, and this disqualification cannot be removed until he has had at least 12 weeks work in an insurable occupation in respect of which not less than 12 contributions shall have been paid. Section 4 of the Unemployment Insurance Act of 1924, under which a limited number of contributions are payable for soldiers in respect of military service, does not apply to Mr. Doolan, because his discharge from the Army took place subsequent to the 29th June, 1924. I regret that I have no legal power to pay unemployment benefit in this case.
I thought some arrangement had been made that men who joined the Army would be kept in benefit during their period in the Army, that is to say, that at least 12 stamps would be put on their cards, so that they would not be at the loss of any contributions they had to their credit before they joined the Army.
Some such arrangement had been made, but that arrangement, whatever it was, does not help to bring this ex-sergeant within the provisions either of the previous Unemployment Insurance Act, or the Act of 1924. I have no legal power whatever to pay this man the money he claims.
Does not the Minister's reply show that it was because there were no stamps placed to this man's credit during his period of service in the Army that he is at a loss of 70 contributions which he had before joining the Army?
It does. I have said there was a certain period, and if the Deputy's interpretation follows, it would seem this man was within the terms of it. But the interpretation does not follow. Stamps put on during the period of a soldier's term in the Army do not bring him within this provision, and this provision is a complete bar to this ex-sergeant getting benefit.