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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 May 1943

Vol. 89 No. 18

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Insurance and Assistance Payments in Dundalk.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that the manager of the employment exchange at Dundalk has made a regulation for the purpose of preventing the payment of unemployment insurance and unemployment assistance benefits in the forenoon of pay day; if he will state the grounds on which this regulation was based in view of the great hardship it inflicts on unemployed persons who are often unable to buy a meal until they get paid their benefit; and whether he intends taking any action to have the regulation rescinded.

The hours within which the public business of employment exchanges is normally disposed of are 10 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. In the Dundalk office it has been the practice to take unemployment assistance applicants in the morning session and unemployment benefit claimants in the afternoon session. This has been done for the purpose of avoiding congestion and delay to applicants. In any case of hardship or grave inconvenience the applicant was attended to at either session. Payment of unemployment assistance has been made on Thursday mornings and of unemployment benefit on Friday afternoons for the past three months. The arrangement appears to have operated satisfactorily, but in view of the Deputy's representations payment of benefit will in future be made on Friday morning sessions, except in cases where the claimant is unable to attend until the afternoon.

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