Vol. 515 No. 3
265 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of persons cut off unemployment assistance or unemployment benefit from June 1999 to January 2000 on a monthly, county to county basis due to his Department claiming they are not genuinely seeking work; the number of these cases appealed; and the number successful and disallowed. [6004/00]
To be entitled to an unemployment payment a person must satisfy the statutory conditions of being capable of, being available for and genuinely seeking but unable to obtain suitable employment. Where a deciding officer decides, following an interview with the person, that she or he does not fulfil the conditions the claim is formally disallowed.
In all, in the period from June 1999 to January 2000, 8,014 claims were disallowed on the grounds that the person in question failed to satisfy the statutory conditions of genuinely seeking suitable employment or of being available for employment. Details for each category and for each month are set out in the following table.
Figures are not maintained on a county by county basis.
Apart from those whose claims were disallowed for failure to fulfil the statutory conditions substantial numbers of persons withdrew their claims or ceased claiming following interview by my Department. These are not included in the figures quoted. If a person is dissatisfied with the deciding officer's decision she or he has a right of appeal to the social welfare appeals office.
During the period in question, 2,511 appeals relating to unemployment payments were received in that office. Of these 1,399 related to unemployment assistance and 1,112 to unemployment benefit. These figures include persons disallowed for reasons other than the "not genuinely seeking" and "not available" conditions.
Of the unemployment payment appeals dealt with by the appeals office during the period in question, 26.6% were favourable to the appellant and 73.4% were not successful.
|
Not genuinely seeking suitable employment |
NotAvailable |
|
|
June |
281 |
534 |
|
July |
431 |
648 |
|
August |
373 |
558 |
|
September |
336 |
555 |
|
October |
459 |
757 |
|
November |
441 |
695 |
|
December |
414 |
558 |
|
January |
400 |
574 |
|
Total: |
3,135 |
4,879 |
