asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether the payment of unemployment assistance has been discontinued in the case of a number of unmarried mothers and they have had to appeal to health boards for home assistance which is not always available; and if he will introduce legislation or take immediate steps to ensure that some form of allowance is made available in all such cases.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Assistance.
12.
With regard to the first part of the question, there has not been any general discontinuance of unemployment assistance in the case of applicants who are unmarried mothers. Inquiries made in the Deputy's area in connection with this question have disclosed two cases of unmarried mothers where, on review, payment of unemployment assistance was recently terminated by deciding officers, one on the ground that the applicant was not available for work, and the other on the ground that she was not genuinely seeking employment. In one of these cases, the disallowance has been upheld on appeal following a hearing which the applicant attended.
While I am statutorily precluded from directing the giving of public assistance to any individual person, if the Deputy will supply particulars of any case in which it is alleged that home assistance was refused I will have it investigated. As I stated in reply to another question yesterday, the position of unmarried mothers is under consideration in the context of the proposals which I am sponsoring for the reform of the social assistance services, including home assistance.
Might I ask the Minister if he would sympathetically consider this question of normal availability for work, especially in the case of unmarried mothers? The decision of the deciding officer is final. That is unjust. Perhaps there could be some amending legislation. It is badly needed.
In a case in which the applicant declares that she is unavailable for employment, it is impossible for the deciding officer to give any other decision.
Is the Minister saying that only these are disallowed?
No.
Is the Minister aware that almost all those who apply state that their mothers or their mothers-in-law are looking after the babies and they are therefore available for employment? They produce evidence from former employers that there is no employment available for them.
In those cases in which inquiries were made the applicants themselves have declared they were unavailable for work. With regard to legislation, I indicated yesterday and again today that the Minister for Social Welfare is examining, amongst other things, the category of unmarried mothers in relation to the whole social welfare system.