asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that persons in receipt of unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance in the Dunquin district, Dingle, County Kerry, have to travel a distance of six to seven miles to Ballyferriter Garda station to get their forms certified each week; and, if so, if he will arrange to have the forms certified by a member of the Garda Síochána or some other responsible person at Dunquin.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Certification of Unemployment Forms in Dunquin (Kerry).
I am aware that persons from the Dunquin district get their forms certified each week at the Garda station in Ballyferriter. According to my information, however, the village of Dunquin is within five miles of Ballyferriter and I have ascertained that practically all the unemployed persons in that district are either from the village itself or from townlands between Dunquin and Ballyferriter. In the circumstances, and in view of the fact that unemployed persons who live between four and six miles from a local office are required to attend at that office on one day a week, I think the existing signing requirement whereby unemployed persons in the Dunquin district have to travel to Ballyferriter on one day a week only is not unreasonable. I do not think, therefore, that any change in the existing signing requirements is called for in the case of Dunquin residents.