asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether in view of the great hardship inflicted on applicants under the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1933, whose appeals are not disposed of by the Appeals Committee for several months, he is prepared to introduce a measure to transfer the determination of these appeals to the local Courts of Referees.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Assistance Appeals.
The functions of Courts of Referees under the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1933, are to consider and make recommendations to an unemployment assistance officer on any matter referred or reported to them, under Section 20 of the Unemployment Assistance Act. All questions arising in relation to applications for unemployment assistance may be referred to them for consideration. This machinery would not be suitable for the determination of questions relating to the statutory conditions for the receipt of qualification certificates. Holders of qualification certificates, whose appeals are pending, may apply for and receive payment of unemployment assistance, subject to the statutory deduction in respect of means, and subject also, of course, to the fulfilment of the statutory conditions for the receipt of assistance.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, might I call his attention to the fact that in many rural areas there are people holding qualification certificates, and because of the fantastic valuation put on their means they are not getting unemployment assistance benefit? They are being refused home assistance on the grounds that they are eligible for unemployment assistance. In view of the fact that those people have already suffered considerable hardship on account of the delay by the Appeals Committee in deciding their cases, will the Minister do something between now and Christmas to expedite decisions in those cases which are the subject of appeal?
They are already being expedited as much as possible.
Is the Minister aware that persons who have not received unemployment assistance will not get work on the roads although they may be in receipt of home assistance?
Mr. Hogan (Clare):
Does not the Minister consider that the three thousand cases already decided would cover every type of case which might possibly arise in future, and that, therefore, there is no danger that precedents would be established by new cases being decided?
For that reason I anticipate that the consideration of appeals will be much more expeditious in future than it has been in the past.