asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that recipients of unemployment assistance, who through force of circumstances have to go from a rural to an urban area to live, are declared ineligible for unemployment assistance and so left destitute; and whether any arrangements can be made to have this state of affairs altered.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ineligibility for Unemployment Assistance.
141.
Section 15 (1) (e) of the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1933, as amended, lays down as a condition for the receipt of unemployment assistance in the case of a person resident in an urban area that either—
(a) he has, at any time before making his application, been ordinarily resident in any urban area for a period of five years, or for a number of periods which amount in the aggregate to five years, or
(b) he has been ordinarily resident in any urban area for at least one year immediately preceding the application, or
(c) he has had at least three months employment in any urban area within the year immediately preceding the application.
The urban areas affected by these provisions are limited in number—they consist of the county boroughs of Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Waterford, the borough of Dún Laoghaire and the urban districts of Athlone, Bray, Carlow, Clonmel, Drogheda, Dundalk, Galway, Kilkenny, Sligo, Tralee and Wexford.
It will be evident that it is only applicants moving from rural areas into one or other of these 16 urban areas and failing to satisfy any of the three tests I have quoted, who are made temporarily ineligible for unemployment assistance by reason of change of residence.
As my Department recently intimated in a letter to the Deputy the question as to whether the condition referred to needs modification in the light of present circumstances has been under examination for some time past. I expect to have the examination completed at an early date. Any change in the position would, of course, require amending legislation.
Surely the Minister will agree that it is a ridiculous condition that somebody who has been living in a rural area because he has nowhere else to live and goes to live with relatives in one of the areas mentioned should be left destitute and have no income while he is seeking work? Surely the Minister should endeavour to hurry up a decision, if a decision is being made to alter the situation, so that this state of affairs will not continue? The Minister must be aware that the only thing these people can do is to apply for home assistance, which is something some of them do not want to do.
This was written in the 1933 Act for definite reasons. It was supposed to create an incentive for people not to move into urban areas because the rate was higher. The three conditions laid down are not difficult, particularly that relating to the three months employment. I am examining the matter and while there are still some reasons why it should not be changed, there are many reasons why it should.