asked the Minister for Social Welfare the criteria his Department applies to married women applicants for unemployment benefit.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Benefit.
8.
The criteria applied to married women claimants for unemployment benefit are the same as those applied to all other claimants for that benefit and are to be found in the conditions for entitlement in Part III of the Social Welfare Act 1952 as amended by subsequent legislation.
The statutory conditions referred to provide in general that unemployment benefit is payable to insured persons during periods of unemployment provided they are capable of and available for work, can satisfy the contribution conditions and are free from certain disqualifications. The only statutory condition for entitlement relating to married women in particular is that their title is limited to 156 days' benefit, as compared to 390 days generally, where they are living with or are being supported by their husbands.
The 390 days limit applies however where the husband is an invalid and is being supported by his wife.
The determination of eligibility for entitlement is made in the light of the particular circumstances of each case by deciding officers and appeals officers of my Department in the exercise of their statutory functions.
Can the Minister say if any attempt is being made to remove this anomaly whereby a married woman is paid benefit for a shorter period than anybody else?
Yes, we are committed to an orderly and regular removal of all these elements of discrimination and we are starting the first major one in October of this year with the removal of discrimination against single women and widows.
Can the Minister say at what point married women can expect to have this element of discrimination removed from them?
I cannot put a date on it.
It will not be this year?
No, I would not think so.
Question No. 9.
What emphasis is placed by the deciding officer on the fact that a married woman has a young family? Is it the case that a married woman with babies is very often debarred for unemployment benefit solely because of that fact, because it is then claimed that she is not available for work?
The Deputy will recall that we had quite a discussion on this yesterday and I stated then, and now repeat, that the mere fact of a married woman having children does not, as was suggested yesterday, automatically debar her from benefit. There is no such rule or practice. The situation is, as I described at some length yesterday that a married woman is under no disadvantage; it is purely a matter of the deciding officer or subsequently the appeals officer deciding as to whether or not she is available for work. That is the criteria.
If a married man is being investigated as to his availability for work is he questioned as to the number and ages of his family and as to who is looking after them and so on in the same way as a married woman? Would it not be right and proper in all cases that if the deciding officers find it necessary to investigate the position of married women with young children in this regard, where alternative arrangements have been made the presence of young children should not be taken into account.
If the married woman in question has made arrangements which leave her free to take up employment and she is genuinely seeking employment, there is no problem.
Do I take it from that that this investigation in relation to children by the deciding officers is in relation to married women but not to men?
It is a matter for the deciding officer in each circumstance.
Ceist a naoi.
Is the Minister aware that married women are made redundant due to factory closures. Could the Minister make a rule to enable these women to qualify automatically for unemployment benefit?
I cannot make a rule that people should qualify automatically for unemployment benefit. Each case has to be looked into.
That is a separate question.
It is not a separate question.
The next question.
9.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of married women applicants who have been rejected for unemployment benefit because of unavailability for work in the past year.
10.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of married women applicants with dependent children who have applied for unemployment benefit in the last year.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Question Nos. 47 and 48 together.
Statistics of the kind requested by the Deputy are not kept by my Department.