asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is aware that claimants for unemployment insurance benefits in the Granard, County Longford area, have to travel to the Longford Labour Exchange, a distance of over fifteen miles, at considerable expense and hardship, to obtain the benefits they are entitled to; and, if so, whether he will consider the advisability of having an office opened in Granard for this purpose.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Insurance Benefit.
Arrangements are in force by which insured contributors residing in Granard can claim and obtain any employment benefit to which they are entitled through the post. It is unnecessary for them to attend at Longford branch office. In fact, it is only on rare occasions that insured contributors residing in Granard choose to claim benefit at the Longford office. At the present time there is only one resident of Granard claiming benefit at Longford. The bulk of the applicants claim their benefit through the post at the Athlone Employment Exchange.
I do not consider, in these circumstances, that the absence of a branch office at Granard has caused such inconvenience to unemployed persons as to justify the expense of opening a new office in that town.