asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state if contributions towards unemployment insurance are now being paid by or on behalf of members of the defence forces; if so, will he further state the annual income of the Unemployment Fund derived from this source for each year in which such contributions have been made.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Insurance of Members of Defence Forces.
Employment in the military service of Saorstát Eireann is an excepted employment under the Unemployment Insurance Acts, and unemployment insurance contributions are not payable and are not being paid in respect of any persons so employed. Enactments in 1923 and 1924 provided for the special payment by the Minister for Defence of limited contributions in respect of certain short-service soldiers whose service terminated on or before the 29th June, 1924, for the purpose of enabling them on release to become entitled to unemployment benefit, but these arrangements were terminated by Section 8 of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1926.