asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that complaints are still being made because of instructions alleged to have been issued from his Department forbidding the stamping of unemployment insurance cards on almost all classes of work paid for out of Relief Money, and if, in this connection, he will state the amount of money spent in the years 1932 and 1933 on relief schemes of all kinds, and further if he will state approximately what proportion of the money in each of the years mentioned was spent on work classed as insurable occupation and in respect of which insurance cards were stamped.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Stamping of Unemployment Insurance Cards.
I am not aware of the receipt of any such complaints as those referred to by the Deputy and no such instructions as those mentioned by him have issued from my Department. Employment upon relief works may or may no be of a kind coming within the scope of the Unemployment Insurance Acts: the decision as to insurability depends upon the nature of the work itself. The fact that it is relief work has nothing whatever to do with the matter.
As regards the second part of the question separate accounts are not kept in respect of calendar years. The expenditure on relief schemes in the financial year 1931-32 was, however, £234,629 and in 1932-33 was £471,864. These amounts include expenditure not only out of voted moneys but also out of the moneys made available under the Unemployment Relief Act, 1931.
I regret to be unable to furnish the information asked for in the remaining part of the question. The compilation of the information asked for would involve an amount of time and labour which would not be justified by the result.