asked the Minister for Social Welfare (a) the date on which Mr. Peter Sheerin, Knock, Castletown, Kilpatrick, Navan, County Meath, Insurance No. 155061, made an application for unemployment benefit; (b) the reason for the refusal of his Department to pay the benefit; (c) the date on which an appeal was received from Mr. Sheerin; and (d) the decision taken on the appeal.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Meath Unemployment Benefit Claims.
13.
The insured person referred to made a claim to unemployment benefit on 31st December, 1962. Before a decision could be given on the claim, it was necessary to establish whether certain stamps affixed to the 1962 insurance card lodged with the claim, and on which title to benefit depended, represented genuine insurable employment. The investigations were unfortunately delayed by difficulty in locating one of the two employers concerned in the stamps in question. Enquiries have now been completed, the claim has been allowed and the benefit due is in course of payment.
As there was no decision rejecting the claim, parts (c) and (d) of the Deputy's question did not arise.
Will the Minister say if he considers it fair that somebody who is entitled to unemployment benefit and who has nothing but unemployment benefit on which to live, should, because somebody else thought something, which has now turned out to be wrong, last December, be deprived of any benefit until now, the beginning of May? How does the Minister expect a man and a family to live in the meantime?
This was definitely a case that called for investigation——
Of course, it was not.
It was. The decision to investigate it was correct, but in view of the long delay that has taken place, there is need to consider whether, in a case where it takes some time to establish the facts, it might not be feasible to make a provisional decision in favour of the applicant.
It is about time that attitude was taken.