asked the Ministry for Industry and Commerce whether he is aware that large numbers of railworkers employed by the Great Southern and Western Railway have not been refunded the contributions to the Unemployment Fund to which they are entitled under the exemption order paragraph (d) Part 2, first schedule Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920, and amendment in second schedule of the 1921 Act, and whether he will take steps to have these moneys immediately refunded.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. [ORAL ANSWERS.] - RAILWAY WORKERS' CONTRIBUTIONS TO UNEMPLOYMENT FUND.
Claims amounting to £5,089 7s. 7d. were received from the Great Southern & Western Railway Co. for refunds in respect of the joint contributions of employers and workpeople under the Unemployment Insurance Acts. The claims were in respect of approximately 5,000 workers employed in the Permanent Way Department, the Locomotive Department, Traffic Department, General Stores Department, Gatekeepers, female clerks and office messengers. Considerable difficulty is being experienced in handling these claims inasmuch as very incomplete information was furnished by the railway company. In a large number of cases the unemployment books were not returned with the claim, whilst in other cases insufficient information was given to enable the Ministry to identify the contributors. The claim was originally in the hands of the British Ministry at the Claims and Records Office, Kew, and when taken over by this Ministry on the 1st April last, a preliminary examination only had been made. The following payments have, however, been effected:—
£1,271 2s. 1d. in respect of workers employed in the Permanent Way Department was paid to the Great Southern and Western Railway on the 23rd April, 1923, in less than a month after the Ministry had taken over the matter; £873 18s. 1d. in respect of the Locomotive Department on the 12th May. A further payment of approximately £200 in respect of the Traffic Department will be made in the course of a few days. Payment of the remaining items will be expedited as much as possible, but, owing to the difficulties already stated, some time must elapse before final payment can be made.
I should add that in many cases the railway companies have been unable to furnish the unemployment books, because they had been destroyed in the burning of the country stations, and that the campaign against the railways has necessarily impeded the company in furnishing the particulars required.