asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state why no unemployment assistance has yet been paid to Mr. Laurence Bourke, or Mr. John Bourke, of Carrickbeg, Carrick-on-Suir, who submitted their application therefor some months ago, and who have been since constantly signing on at the Labour Exchange.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Assistance.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state why no unemployment assistance has yet been paid to Mr. John Joy, Carrickbeg, Carrick-on-Suir, who made claim therefor in July last.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state why the sum payable in unemployment assistance pay to Mr. Thomas Maher and Mr. Patrick Maher of Carrickbeg, Carrick-on-Suir, has been fixed at only 2/- per week, and without any apparent regard to the fact that they have no income.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state on what day unemployment assistance became payable in the Counties of Tipperary and Waterford, and whether he is aware that Mr. Denis Healy of Carrickbeg, Carrick-on-Suir, applied for unemployment assistance in May and again in July, that he was duly qualified to receive unemployment assistance pay, but that no payment was made to him, for a date earlier than the 18th October; and if he will state whether he will arrange to have the arrears of unemployment assistance due in this case paid.
I propose to deal with Nos. 6, 7, 8 and 9 together.
The preparation of replies to Parliamentary Questions about individual applications for unemployment assistance involves a considerable amount of labour and expense; and it diverts the energies of the staff of the Branch concerned from their normal duty of dealing with applications with a view to arriving at a final decision on them. I would also remind the Deputy that the Unemployment Assistance Act provides machinery under which any aggrieved applicant has the right of appeal against the decision in his individual case.
I have given the matter very careful consideration and I cannot in all the circumstances see my way to furnish replies to questions about individual cases.
I may say, however, that in the cases referred to in Questions 6, 7 and 8, appeals made by the applicants to the Unemployment Appeals Committee are under consideration by that body.
With regard to No. 9, unemployment assistance first became payable in the Counties of Tipperary and Waterford on the 3rd May, 1934. No person is, however, entitled to apply for unemployment assistance until he becomes the holder of a qualification certificate. The applicant in question did not become the holder of such certificate until September and applied for unemployment assistance for the first time on September 29th.
Having regard to the questions that have been put here from time to time, can the Minister say if anything can be done to expedite these appeals? I have had to write to the Department and, like many others, I cannot compliment it on the punctuality or the courtesy with which it replied. It is as hard to get any reply from the Department as to get a reply here. The people concerned here naturally approach local representatives and ask them to try to help them to have their grievances redressed.
I am sure the Unemployment Appeals Committee is dealing with all appeals that come before them with all reasonable expedition.
That is an answer that was given here many times.
The Unemployment Appeals Tribunal is the body that was established by the Act to deal with these appeals, and I have no function in the matter.