asked the Minister for External Affairs whether his Department have any plans to make grants to emigrant welfare organisations in Britain.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Emigrant Welfare Organisations.
4.
For reasons which I have explained to the Dáil as recently as the 9th February, as well as on earlier occasions, the answer to the Deputy's question is in the negative. If an emigrant wishes to return home the State will, of course, give him the same rights and the same access to public assistance of various kinds as he would have had he remained at home.
At present is there anyone in the Embassy in London whose special job it is to keep in touch with these welfare organisations?
There is, and has been for a number of years.
Does the Minister say that returning emigrants would get the same social welfare benefits as if they had never left the country, because that is wrong? A person gets only 26 days unemployment benefit.
A person who has not any stamps on his card gets a certain amount of public assistance in certain circumstances. They would get the same.
They do not get the same unemployment benefit.
We want to provide for our people at home the necessary improvements which we are trying to provide in housing, education and all the rest, and we cannot at the same time afford to guarantee from the cradle to the grave people who wish to go out of the country.
I was only trying to tell the Minister that he was wrong in the reply he gave to Deputy O'Leary when he said that they would get the same social welfare benefits as if they had never left the country.
Is the Minister aware that this situation arises as a result of a bad reciprocal arrangement with Britain? The Minister was wrong when he stated that they would get the same unemployment benefit provisions. They do not. Deputy Corish is right.
I have already answered that question.
If the Minister was looking after his constituency he would know that.