asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if unemployment insurance contributions are deducted from the salaries of officials of the Joint Stock Banks, and if so, if unemployment insurance benefit has been drawn in any case by any of those officials; if, in view of the fact that it can result in little or no benefit to them, steps will be taken to secure that exemption from such contributions be granted to bank officials.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - BANK OFFICIALS AND STATE INSURANCE.
Officials of Joint Stock Banks are in the same position as employees of any other commercial undertaking. Officials in receipt of remuneration exceeding £250 per year are excepted from the provisions of the Unemployment Insurance Acts; officials with a less remuneration are insurable, and contributions are properly deducted from their salaries, unless they have obtained exemption on the grounds specified in the Acts. I have no particulars of any recent case in which benefit has been drawn by a bank official, but I have no power under the Acts to exempt any person on the ground that he may obtain little or no benefit from the Acts.
Has the Minister power to introduce an amending Bill?
Yes, but the conditions do not warrant it.
In other words, these officials are paying for the benefit of the unemployed — they never get anything themselves.
"Never" is a big word — that is rather a conjecture of the Deputy.
They do not like to be classed as workingmen.
asked the Minister for Local Govbutions for National Health Insurance are made by officials of the Joint Stock Banks in the Saorstát, and whether he will state if benefit is in many cases obtained by those officials in this connection, and if he will take steps to exempt them from such payments in the future.
Contributions under the National Health Insurance Acts must be paid in respect of officials of Joint Stock Banks whose rate of remuneration is not over £250 per annum. As the law at present stands the employment of such officials cannot be excepted from the compulsory provisions of the Acts. Benefits are in all cases obtainable on the usual conditions by such insured officials. It is understood that most of them are members of the Irish Banks Health Insurance Society, whose recent disbursements on benefits are as follows:—
|
Year. |
Total. |
||
|
£ |
s. |
d. |
|
|
1924 |
1,911 |
2 |
2 |
|
1925 |
2,027 |
14 |
7 |
|
1926 |
2,254 |
0 |
3 |
|
1927 to 8th March |
525 |
10 |
7 |