asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is aware that in the case of members of the Reserve Force, Grade A, 3/- per week of their allowance is taken into account for the purpose of reducing their unemployment assistance; whether under the amending Bill it is proposed to reduce their unemployment assistance by 4/-, which will in effect provide for a payment of only 11d. per week in respect of their period in the Reserve; and whether he is prepared to take steps to prevent a further reduction in the amount of unemployment assistance payable to those men.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral—Answers. - Unemployment Assistance to Reservists.
I am aware that payments to Reservists of the class to whom the question relates have been determined to be means within the meaning of the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1933, and in accordance with that Act such means must be treated in the same manner as means derived from any other source for the purpose of assessing the rates of Unemployment Assistance payable to applicants during unemployment. As the Deputy will have observed from the text of the Unemployment Assistance (Amendment) Bill, 1935, I do not propose to except means possessed by Reservists from the general rule.