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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 13 May 1943

Vol. 90 No. 2

Unemployment Insurance Bill, 1943—Committee and Final Stages.

Sections 1 and 2 and the Title agreed to.
Bill reported without amendment.
Agreed to take the remaining stages now.
Question—"That the Bill be received for final consideration"—put and agreed to.
Question proposed: "That the Bill do now pass."

Has the Minister made any estimate as to the number of persons likely to be affected by this Bill and as to the probable cost over, say, the first year or two after the emergency?

It is almost impossible to make an estimate, either as to the number of persons affected or as to the cost. The cost might, in fact, be nil. In order to prepare such an estimate, it would be necessary to decide the persons who would not be entitled to receive benefit but for this Bill. That would be a much smaller number than the number of those temporarily absent from the country, who might come back here under circumstances which would enable them to secure the qualifying number of stamps and thus cash in on earlier contributions. I have tried to prepare an estimate, but I arrived at no figure which would appear to be based on any reasonable foundation.

In view of the fact that the persons likely to benefit under this would normally be entitled to receive covenanted payments from the British Government, has there been any discussion with the British Government on the matter or any arrangement that the British Government will bear any part of this cost?

No. A number of representations have been made to the British Government, but no arrangement has yet been made which would ensure for Irish workers in Great Britain on their return to this country the benefits of contributions paid to the British fund.

The Bill covers only the unemployment insurance people?

Yes, only the unemployment insurance people.

What about the number of men who have gone who were in receipt of unemployment assistance? When they return, they cannot, under the Act, get anything for at least three months.

Not necessarily.

If they are more than 12 months out of the country.

The problem of the unemployment assistance people can be dealt with as circumstances arise which appear to require it. That is a different matter altogether. We have to legislate for these people because it is a permanent legislative provision that persons with stamps to their credit cannot obtain the benefits appropriate, if they have failed to make a contribution in the 12 months' period. It is to remove that disability that this Bill is introduced. The position of people under the Unemployment Assistance Act is a different matter and entirely one for the Legislature.

The Minister knows that the clause is there and that if they are more than 12 months out of the country, they will not get it for three months afterwards?

That is true, but I do not know that it is necessary yet to decide to remove it.

Question put and agreed to.
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