asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he is aware that carters employed by the Waterford County Council do not have either unemployment or national health insurance stamps affixed to their cards and are thus deprived of both unemployment insurance and national health insurance benefits and that their wives are deprived of benefits under the widows' contributory pensions scheme; and, if so, if he will state how the employment of these carters differs from that of other carters employed by other county councils and by private firms, who enjoy both unemployment and national health insurance benefits and, further, if he will have the circumstances whereby such a decision was arrived at by his Department reinvestigated and arrange that evidence in support of the workers' right to claim the stamps may be given by the union that caters for these carters and other council employees.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Waterford County Council Carters.
I am aware that contributions under the Unemployment Insurance Acts and under the National Health Insurance and Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Acts are not being paid in respect of carters employed by the Waterford County Council.
Contributions under these Acts are payable only if the carters are employed under a contract of service. From the information furnished to my Department it would appear that the carters employed by the Waterford County Council are not so employed and their case can, therefore, be distinguished from that of carters employed by other county councils and by private firms who are brought within the scope of the Acts because their employment is under a contract of service.
I am prepared to have the position of carters employed by the Waterford County Council re-examined in the light of representations which may be submitted by interested parties concerning the exact nature of the employment.