asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he will expedite payment of unemployment benefit in respect of his wife to William O'Brien, Blackrath, Curragh, Co. Kildare, Serial Book No. 1014, Droichead Nua Labour Exchange Office.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT (CO. KILDARE).
William O'Brien lodged a claim to unemployment benefit on the 30th October last, but did not claim increased benefit in respect of dependents. The claim was duly authorised, and benefit was paid on it up to the 21st November, on which date he lodged a claim for increased benefit in respect of his wife and child, and unemployment benefit with increased benefit was allowed and paid from that date up to the 26th January, when the claimant became employed, after having received benefit for 76 days. No benefit appears to be due to Mr. O'Brien in respect of his wife.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is aware that Volunteer Patrick Doyle, of Sunnyhill Cottages, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare, Army No. 53112, who was discharged from the Army on the 21st January, 1925, lodged a claim for unemployment benefit at Droichead Nua Office on the 23rd January; that he has not yet received any benefit, although he has from fifty to seventy stamps to his credit from 1920 to the date of his joining the Army on the 4th April, 1922, and whether he will expedite payment.
When Patrick Doyle, of Sunnyhill Cottages, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare, claimed unemployment benefit on the 23rd January last he stated that he had an account with the Unemployment Fund, and that contributions had been paid for him prior to his enlistment in the National Army, but was unable to give the number of the book or any particulars that would lead to the identification of his account. Search for his account was made without result in the records of the Department, and the Ministry of Labour in London were asked whether he had an account there. That Department did trace an account which appeared to relate to the claimant. The papers were sent to the Local Office on the 26th ultimo with a view to verifying the particulars. That office invited the applicant to call for interview, but he has not yet attended. Only 29 contributions had been paid on this account, and they were refunded on representations made by the payers that they had been paid in error in respect of employment which at the time of payment was thought to be insurable, but was subsequently found to be uninsurable. The position, therefore, is that the only account that can relate to the claimant which it has been possible to trace either here or in London has no unexhausted contributions to credit, and I regret, therefore, that it is not possible to pay unemployment benefit to Doyle, who, moreover, is not entitled to the special benefit provided by Section 3 of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1924, because he was discharged from the Army subsequent to the 29th June, 1924.
I am informed that this man was working for 12 months on the Country Council works, and that he has 12 months' stamps to his credit.
My only answer to that is that he was unable to give the number of his book or any particulars that would lead to the identification of his card. If the Deputy can get him to furnish these particulars, and the particulars with regard to the County Council about which he has now spoken, then we will have further investigation made.