asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if it is a fact that the duty of investigating applications for qualification certificates lodged at the local employment exchanges under the provisions of the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1933, has been handed over to the Gárda Síochána, and, if so, to what extent; if he is aware that the Gárda Síochána in the course of their investigations interview and interrogate persons residing in the neighbourhood of the applicant regarding his character, means and associations; whether he is aware that this objectionable practice is greatly resented by applicants for qualification certificates; whether it is not likely to lead to abuse and if he is now prepared to have these investigations carried out by civilian investigation officers with experience of the work.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Assistance Act Applications.
The recruitment and training of a sufficient number of suitable staff for the work of investigating and calculating the means of the large number of applicants for certificates at the inception of the Act would have been very expensive and would have made it impossible to bring into operation on the 1st March, 1934, that portion of the Act relating to applications for and issue of qualification certificates. This work has, therefore, been undertaken by the Gárda Síochána for the present. I am not aware of any cases in which the Gárdaí have made the investigations referred to in the question, but if the Deputy will furnish particulars of the specific cases I shall have enquiries made in the matter and communicate further with him. It is intended to have the means of applicants investigated by civil servants as soon as officers of the necessary qualifications can be recruited.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, would the Minister say what special qualifications Civic Guards, untrained in this kind of work, have for carrying out investigations of this kind, which are not possessed by hundreds or possibly thousands of persons who are registered as unemployed at the labour exchanges, and who are as suitable in every respect for doing this work as Civic Guards?
I do not know that the Civic Guards have any special qualifications; they are acting under the supervision of the Revenue Commissioners. The question for consideration by the Deputy is whether it would have been desirable to have postponed the operation of the Act until a suitable staff had been recruited. We had to decide whether it was preferable to utilise the services of the Gárda Síochána temporarily rather than postpone the date of bringing the Act into operation.
Are we to understand that the Minister, subsequent to the passing of the Act, did not take immediate steps to recruit the officers who would be qualified to make these investigations?
These investigations are to be made by officers of the Revenue Commissioners and I understand that they are making arrangements to recruit the necessary staff.
When were they invited to make these arrangements?
On the date of the passing of the Act.
Might I ask the Minister why steps could not have been taken to recruit the civilian staff after the passage of the Unemployment Insurance Act by the Oireachtas and before the 1st March, the date on which the Act came into operation? There were surely abundant opportunities in the interval to recruit civil servants and so avoid recourse to the present undesirable practice of having police officers asking other persons about the means of applicants. It is a highly undesirable practice which, I think, ought to be terminated at the earliest possible moment and I hope the Minister will agree to terminate it.
It is intended to have this work done by civil servants as soon as the Revenue Commissioners have recruited the necessary number.