asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that many people drawing unemployment assistance have to travel long distances to employment exchanges twice a week; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Collection of Unemployment Assistance.
55.
Under the arrangements for the proving of unemployment by applicants for unemployment assistance in rural areas only those unemployed persons who reside over two miles but not more than four miles from a local office are in general required to attend there twice a week to sign the unemployed register, one of these attendances being on the pay-day, which is Thursday. If, however, the applicant is a smallholder in one of the specified areas of congestion or is a person over 65 years of age, attendance only once a week is required, irrespective of distance from the local office.
To qualify for unemployment assistance a person must be available for employment and it is considered that the general signing arrangements for applicants in the two to four miles range are not onerous and that they constitute the minimum safeguard against abuse of the unemployment assistance scheme.