asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether, in the case of Thomas O'Connor, ex-National Army, of 7 Harbour Terrace, Cobh, he will state the grounds on which this applicant's claim of February 18th, 1926, to unemployment insurance benefit has been rejected; whether he is aware that the applicant produced satisfactory evidence to Referees of the nature of his employment at Haulbowline, the date of his entry into such employment, wages received, rank held, date and reasons of discharge; that during the years 1912 to 1922 applicant was in insurable employment and contributed under statute to unemployment insurance, and whether provision will be made in the Unemployment Insurance Bill, 1926, to grant relief in this and similar claims.
WRITTEN ANSWERS. - UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE CLAIM (COBH).
A claim to unemployment benefit made on the 18th February, 1926, by Thomas O'Connor, 7 Harbour Terrace, Cobh, was disallowed, as already explained in correspondence between my Department and the Deputy, under Section 8 (4) of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920, because no contributions had been paid for him in the 1924-1925 insurance year or since. The claimant appealed to the Court of Referees, whose recommendation was that the claim should be disallowed, a recommendation with which the Insurance Officer agreed. It is regretted that in the circumstances there is no authority to pay unemployment insurance benefit. The only point on which the Court of Referees had to be satisfied was whether the applicant was disqualified under the section mentioned, and he failed to satisfy the Court that he was not so disqualified. It is not intended, in the Unemployment Insurance Bill, 1926, to modify the provisions of Section 8 (4) of the Act of 1920. It must be appreciated that unemployment insurance is insurance; that as in every scheme of insurance there must be provision for the maintenance of contributions or premiums, and that to dispense with such provisions would destroy the basis of the scheme.