asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he intends to introduce a new Unemployment Insurance Bill, to enable workers whose title to benefit is exhausted under the existing legislation to draw benefit for a further period, and, if not, what other steps he proposes to take to alleviate the sufferings of the unemployed.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.
TOMAS MAC EOIN
The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. Taking into account the contributions by employers, employees and the State, the cost of administration, and the advances to meet the deficit from the Central Fund, the net burden of the Unemployment Insurance on the productive energies of the country in 1925 amounted to £1,077,000. In these circumstances I do not see my way to recommend an extension of benefit to those who have exhausted their contributions.
In reply to the second part of the question I would refer to the explanation made by the Minister for Finance of the provision made by the Government for the relief of unemployment when moving a Supplementary Estimate on the 17th December last for £120,000 in respect of relief schemes.
Could the Minister give us an estimate of the cost of unemployment to the State, apart from the moneys paid out of the central Exchequer? Does he recognise that unemployed men are a charge on the State, whoever keeps them alive?
That is a different question.