asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he can state the grounds on which the application of Michael McDermott, Greaghlone, Carrickmacross, County Monaghan (Dundalk Local Office, Serial No. 1579) for unemployment assistance was refused by the Court of Referees; and whether he is aware that this applicant is a labouring man who has no means of existence during periods of unemployment.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Assistance Claims.
For the reasons stated in reply to questions addressed to me by Deputy Curran on the 12th December last I cannot, for the present and for some time to come, see my way to reply to questions relating to individual applications for unemployment assistance.
Is the Minister not aware that this is an exceptional case, where a labouring man with no income made an application and got no notice from the exchange?
I am not so aware. The position is that most of the officers in the Department of Industry and Commerce dealing with the administration of the Unemployment Assistance Act are fully occupied in the various duties arising under the Act. In fact, considerable overtime is being worked, and if there were numbers of questions relating to individual cases of this kind it would have a very disorganising effect on the Department. That situation will be eased off in time, when I would have no objection to dealing with individual cases in the ordinary way. For the present I ask Deputies not to put down cases of this kind, because the time and trouble involved in getting information are very considerable and mean a delay in dealing with applications that are pending.
I appreciate the point made by the Minister. Can he suggest any other course where an applicant entitled to receive unemployment benefit does not receive any acknowledgement from the Department or the local exchanges offices?
I think the Deputy is referring to another question.
In view of the seriousness of the position, and seeing that we can quote cases of people who have no means and who cannot get unemployment assistance or home help because of the slowness of the tribunal, will the Minister take some steps to deal with the matter?
The question asked related to another matter. It was rejected on appeal by the Court of Referees. The other is a different type of question.
But taking the Minister's reply, that we must not raise a question about individual cases, I want to say that we also got that reply last week.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether Mr. Daniel Gallagher, Lunniaghbeg, Derrybeg, County Donegal, applied on March 30th, 1934, for a qualification certificate under the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1933; whether the Gárda visited his home on July 9th, 1934, for the purpose of making an assessment of his means; whether it is a fact that so far, after an interval of almost 13 months, he has received neither a qualification certificate nor an acknowledgment of his application; that several letters which he addressed to the Employment Exchange at Letterkenny remained unanswered, and that he and his family are in very poor circumstances; and whether it is possible, after this long interval, to state when Mr. Gallagher may expect to receive a qualification certificate.
An application for a qualification certificate was received from Mr. Daniel Gallagher at the Dungloe Branch Employment Office on the 5th April, 1934. At the time of its receipt the Unemployment Assistance Act had just been launched and consequently there was a very large number of applications to be dealt with. It became necessary to make certain inquiries regarding Mr. Gallagher's circumstances and these took some time to complete; before they were completed the application was, unfortunately, lost.
A duplicate application lodged by Mr. Gallagher on the 1st March, 1935, is now under consideration and special steps are being taken to expedite a decision on this application, which will be communicated to him as early as possible.
Will Mr. Gallagher be compensated for the loss he has sustained by the loss of his application?
There is no power to make such compensation.
So that Mr. Gallagher must bear the consequences of the loss of his application although he had no responsibility for that?
It has not yet been decided that he is entitled at all.
If he is entitled will he be compensated in view of the fact that someone lost his application?
If he is entitled to a qualification certificate he will obtain it, if he fulfils the conditions.
Assuming that he is qualified, will he be compensated?
I have no such power.