asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for twice weekly signing at employment offices.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment Office Signing.
11.
The frequency of attendance required of unemployment assistance and unemployment benefit claimants varies according to distance from the appropriate local office of my Department. Generally speaking, daily attendance is normally required only of persons residing within a two-mile radius. All other claimants within a range of six miles attend either once or twice a week. The general arrangements for attendance to sign a register as evidence of unemployment are not regarded as unreasonable and are considered to represent the minimum safeguard for the prevention of abuses. I should like to add, however, that whenever special factors, such as exceptional numbers of claimants, are likely to create hardship in queuing or to otherwise impair standards of service to the public at a particular office, authorisation is given for relaxing the general signing arrangements on a temporary basis according as the local circumstances require.
If this is being done on a temporary basis why can it not be done on a general basis?
It may be done on a temporary basis because circumstances might arise in a particular office which would be only of a temporary nature.
Surely they are all the same at the moment? They are all busy. Answer that one.
It is lucky that they are busy under us instead of under your Administration.
(Interruptions.)