asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is now in a position to grant unemployment benefit to the six Avoca workers who were employed in County Wicklow by Orr Watt and Co., Glasgow, and whose contributions were paid in British stamps instead of stamps issued by the Saorstát; if he is aware that these men paid their contributions over a period extending from January, 1924, to June, 1925, and whether he can see his way to have the benefit paid immediately pending settlement with the British authorities and the Glasgow employers.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - AVOCA WORKERS' UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT.
Six Avoca workers, who are presumably those referred to by the Deputy: Patrick Travers, James Doyle, Patrick Lambert, Michael Kennedy, Robert Gallagher and John O'Toole, have claimed benefit in the current benefit year which commenced on the 15th of October last. Their claims have been authorised, and benefit will be paid to them in proportion to the number of unexhausted contributions to their credit. With the exception of Robert Gallagher, all these workmen had previously claimed benefit on the 17th of June, 1925, but those claims had to be disallowed under the first part of Section 8 (4) of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920, as an insurance year had passed in which no contributions had been paid for them, and the disqualification had not been removed by the payment of the 12 further contributions necessary to restore their rights to benefit. It was then discovered that contributions which should have been paid for them in this country in respect of their employment in County Wicklow by Messrs. Orr Watt and Co., of Glasgow, had not in fact been paid, the employers, apparently in error, having paid those contributions into the Unemployment Insurance Fund of Great Britain instead of the Unemployment Insurance Fund of this country. The necessary steps were taken to collect those contributions and payment of them was finally made on the 30th of September last. Upon the payment of those contributions Messrs. Kennedy, O'Toole, Doyle and Lambert became entitled to and were paid benefit on their claims of the 17th of June, as from the 30th of September to the end of the benefit year, that is, the 14th of October. Mr. Travers had ceased to prove unemployment prior to date of the payment of those contributions, and so could not receive benefit as the others did between the 30th of September and 14th of October. Appeals to the Court of Referees and Umpire are pending in respect of the disallowance of the claims of Messrs. Kennedy, O'Toole, and Lambert prior to the 30th of September.