asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is aware that employees of the Athlone Woollen Mills, who only work every alternative week, have been refused unemployment benefit at the local Labour Exchange, and, further, whether he is aware that workers obtaining one day's work in any week have also been refused benefit at this Exchange, and if he will state generally the position of such persons under the Act.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - ATHLONE WOOLLEN MILLS EMPLOYEES.
SEAN O LAIDHIN
Mr. O'HIGGINS
, replying: For some time a section of the employees engaged at the Athlone Woollen Mills have been working on short-time arrangements by which they are employed five days out of each fortnight. These workers therefore are unemployed for periods of seven days continuously, separated by less than one week's employment. They therefore satisfy the rule that "two periods of unemployment of not less than six days separated by an interval of not more than six weeks are treated as a continuous period of unemployment." The Athlone Woollen Mill workers who are affected by the short-time working arrangements generally have qualified for the receipt of benefit during their spells of unemployment and they have been paid accordingly. In one case a worker's continuity of unemployment was broken by his working during the "off" period and he was therefore not qualified for benefit in respect of that period.
Does the Minister say that one of these employees who received one day's work in a week is therefore to be deprived of the benefit?
Mr. O'HIGGINS
I did not quite catch the question, and I am afraid I am not very expert in these matters. If the Deputy would put down another question on the matter I would undertake to have it answered.