asked the Minister for Finance if he will state why maternity benefit under the National Health Insurance Acts is withheld from Mr. Joseph Moroney, Cornmarket, Ennis, who was serving with the National Forces when the claim was made, and to whose credit a certain amount stood in the Deposit Contributors' Fund on his joining the National Army.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - ENNIS MATERNITY BENEFIT CLAIM.
This deposit contributor enlisted on the 15th November, 1922, and as he did not enter an Approved Society within the prescribed time he ceased to be an insured person as from the date of enlistment. Consequently, no contributions were paid in respect of him, and he was not entitled to any benefit during his period of service.
Mr. P. HOGAN
Does the Act in question specifically cut out the insured person who joined the Army, in respect of contributions paid before he joined the Army and benefits that accrued in respect of those contributions? Does the Act specifically cut him out of these benefits because he joined the Army?
Mr. HOGAN
It is in respect of these contributions that the application is made.
Section 20, sub-section (5) of the National Insurance Act, 1923, provides that a deposit contributor who does not join an Approved Society within three months of enlistment or the passing of the above-mentioned Act—that is 25th June, 1923— shall cease to be an insured person from the date of his enlistment to his discharge from the Army. On his discharge he was again treated as a deposit contributor, and the balance to his credit was replaced to the credit of his account in the State Fund.