asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he will state the reason why the application of Owen McMenamin, of Woodland, Dooish, Ballybofey, Co. Donegal, for unemployment insurance benefits has been rejected.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Insurance Benefits.
A claim to unemployment benefit made on 31st December last, by Owen McMenamin, was disallowed by the insurance officer on the ground that the claimant was not unemployed. Being dissatisfied with the decision, the claimant appealed to the Court of Referees which, after due consideration, recommended unanimously that benefit be disallowed. With this recommendation the insurance officer agreed and the claim remains disallowed accordingly.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary please explain why this applicant's claim was disallowed by the pension officer, and why, when he appealed to the Court of Referees, he was not notified to attend the meeting of the Court of Referees when they came to consider his case?
The usual notification was sent out in this case, and the procedure in accordance with statute was observed, and the referees gave their decision accordingly.
This man appealed to the Court of Referees. He got no word that his case was going to be heard. The only notification he got was from the branch officer in Ballybofey that the case had been heard by the Court of Referees in Letterkenny and an adverse decision given. I would like to know when the applicant was notified of the date of the court?
That is a new question.
It should be in the answer.
I submit I have answered the question put down by the Deputy. If he wants another question answered, I will be only glad to answer it fully for him.
In view of the Parliamentary Secretary's statement that the applicant was notified that the Court of Referees was going to sit in Letterkenny, and in view of the positive assertion of the applicant that he was not notified, would the Parliamentary Secretary make an arrangement to allow this case to be re-heard and allow the applicant to be present at the Court of Referees?
I will not agree to make any arrangement, because I must inquire into the allegations that the Deputy is now making and I would have been glad if he had put them down in his original question.