asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that married women who withdraw from employment for family reasons are automatically refused unemployment benefit when they are unable to return to work; and if he has any figures to show the number of married women who have been refused their applications for unemployment benefit from September 1977 to September 1978.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Married Women's Unemployment Benefit.
66.
Claims for unemployment benefit are not decided automatically. Each claim is decided on its merits by a statutorily appointed deciding officer in the light of the relevant conditions for entitlement and of the particular facts and circumstances pertaining to the case.
A claimant for unemployment benefit is required to show that he or she satisfies the statutory condition of being available for employment. A person who withdrew from employment for family reasons and who is unable to return to work because of those reasons would be unlikely to satisfy this condition.
No statistics are kept of the number of persons whose claims for unemployment benefit are unsuccessful.
This is causing a problem all over the country at the moment. Could the Minister advise me as to what advice I could give to someone who has signed on for unemployment benefit, who is available for work and who has letters to state that she is not suitable for the employment to which the National Manpower Service have sent her, and will still not be given unemployment benefit?
If a person is available for employment and is making an effort to procure employment then there is absolutely no reason why they should not get the credit.
In this case the conditions are satisfied but she has been told in the local exchange not to bother to sign for the benefit.
If the Deputy gives me the details and if what the Deputy says is correct I will make sure she gets the unemployment benefit.
I have written to the Secretary of the Department about it.
Would the Minister accept that at the moment there is discrimination against married women claimants for unemployment benefit?
No, I do not accept that.
I would point out that in practice it is an accepted fact by many investigating officers that because a woman has a family she is not available for work.
A question, Deputy.
As the Deputy knows we have thrashed this out time and again.
At this very moment women are suffering.
I can only agree that there is no policy of discrimination against married women. There is nothing in my Department, administration or in our rules or regulations which can be capable of being taken as discriminating against married women.
Question No. 67.
Is it not a fact that one of the measures being taken by the Government to cosmetically reduce the unemployment register figures is to knock people off the dole? Will the Minister deny that that is a fact?
That is a separate question.
It arises directly from the question.
Can I ask a supplementary question?
I have asked the Minister if he will confirm that it is Government policy to knock people off the dole.
The Ceann Comhairle has called the next question.
Will the Minister accept that even if it has been thrashed out often in this House at least people think they are being knocked off the register for inadequate reasons? I am sure every Deputy, including the Minister, has had representations about such cases. Is that not a fact?
That is a fact.
Does it not appear then at least from the point of view of the persons concerned that there is a policy to knock people off the register?
There are two aspects to it. First of all, married women generally are under the impression that they should get the benefit just because they have stamps.
I am not making that case.
I know, but a lot of married women are under that impression and think they are being unfairly discriminated against. Unfortunately, the position is that they must be available for work. We keep adverting to that fact time and again, and all I can say is that if the Deputy has a certain case in mind he should give me the details and if the situation is as he says then we will make sure that the woman gets her benefit.
Question No. 67.
I am not sure that the Minister gets the point.
That is a matter for argument.
Will the Minister agree that one of the problems here is that a woman who is married is being refused benefit because she is married even though she has somebody available to look after her children and is available for work?
She should not be.
I am afraid she is, and that is generally accepted.