In certain cases. I would be glad if the Deputy brought to my notice any particular case of hardship that has come to his notice, and I will have it inquired into. As to the question of registering at the different exchanges, I think the procedure in regard to that has now been made pretty clear. Deputy Morrissey and, I think, Deputy Hogan, referred to it. It is not now necessary for a worker to attend personally to register if he lives over six miles from the nearest employment exchange.
Several Deputies dealt with the question known as reciprocity, and about the endeavours that we have made to have reciprocal arrangements made with the Northern Government and the British Government in connection with our insured workers. I refer Deputies to the position as disclosed in the answer given by the Minister on the 19th December, 1924. We exhausted every means, by negotiations and suggestions on our part, to obtain reciprocity, but we failed. It was admitted by all parties in the Saorstát that we, on our part, had done everything possible to secure it, and that we had gone as far as it was possible for us to go. The reason why reciprocity could not be obtained was because of the decision of the other Governments not to agree to a working arrangement. The present position is that if one of our nationals is working in England or in Northern Ireland he has to have his cards stamped with the stamps issued in those places, and when he is unemployed he can claim benefit from either of the two Governments. He can only get benefit from our funds for the stamps affixed here during the time he was working in the Saorstát.
The question of land cases was raised by several Deputies. It was stated that small land-holders were treated harshly on account of the fact that, while working on the roads or otherwise, they had to pay for insurance stamps, and then, that when it came to a question of claiming unemployment benefit they were not allowed any. I have a fairly exhaustive list dealing with that matter before me. Of course we are governed by statute, but there is no statute prohibiting such a worker obtaining benefit. Each case is examined entirely on its merits. It is gone into in the same way as other claims. The case comes first from the local branch manager, then to the chief insurance officer, and then to the Board of Referees, and finally to the Umpire and the Minister. I have a table before me dealing with these cases.
Let me take a typical case, that of an applicant whose occupation is that of a road labourer. His age is 34. He held ten acres of land, the valuation being £2 10s. and the rent £1 18s. 6d. The area tilled was half an acre. The stock of the holding is not stated. The other persons residing on holding with the applicant were his mother, aged 69 years, his sister, 30 years, and his wife, 23 years. The applicant assisted in cultivating the half-acre. This case went ultimately to the Umpire, and the final decision arrived at was to allow the claim.
There are several cases of that kind. The total number of these claims received in the period 19/6/'26 to 1/7/'27 was 2,595. Of these 775 were disallowed by the chief insurance officer; 1,820 were allowed. Appeals were lodged in 378 cases. The Court of Referees received 377. The discrepancy is explained by allowance of one case at appeal stage. The Court of Referees made certain recommendations. They allowed 198 cases, and disallowed 179. The chief insurance officer, on the Court of Referees' recommendation, agreed with 318 and disagreed with 59. The cases were then submitted to the Umpire, and the Umpire's final decision was to allow eight and to disallow eighty-seven.
Out of the total number of land cases finally examined there were only 87 cases disallowed out of a total of 2,595. Deputies can see, therefore, that each case was carefully examined. Of course we are governed entirely by statute in all these cases. Deputies will realise that it is a fairly difficult fund to administer, and that the officers concerned require to have great tact and knowledge in dealing with cases. I think that on the whole they are doing their work to the satisfaction of the various parties concerned.
