asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will expedite consideration of cases of hardship in respect of workers, their wives and families who have been refused unemployment assistance as a result of the unofficial dock strike in Cork so that a decision will be given as early as possible, particularly in respect of casual dockers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cork Dock Strike: Refusal of Unemployment Assistance.
112.
The Social Welfare and Unemployment Assistance Acts provide that neither unemployment benefit nor assistance is payable to persons who have lost their employment owing to a stoppage of work due to a trade dispute and who had been employed at the premises or places at which the dispute took place. There was no avoidable delay in the decision by Deciding Officers of the claims to unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance of persons involved in the unofficial stoppage of work to which the Deputy refers and which, I am glad to note, has now ended. I might add that any person who is dissatisfied with the decision of the Deciding Officer in his case has the right of appeal to an Appeals Officer.