asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state why the unemployment insurance benefit payable to John McCallion, Ballindrait, County Donegal, ceased on the 8th April in view of the fact that he became eligible for benefit on the 9th January, and had over 500 stamps to his credit.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Insurance Claims.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state why the application of Denis McCarry, Tubberkeen, Dungloe, County Donegal, for unemployment insurance benefit has not been granted.
I propose to reply to Nos. 6 and 7 together.
For the reasons stated in reply to a number of questions addressed to me by Deputy Curran on the 12th December last, I cannot for the present and some time to come see my way to reply to questions regarding individual claims to unemployment benefit.
Had not the Minister's reply to Deputy Curran reference to claims under the Unemployment Assistance Act?
Yes.
But these are claims under the unemployment insurance code.
The same difficulty arises, because the same staff have to make the investigations in each case. In view of the tremendous pressure of work arising out of the coming into operation of the Unemployment Assistance Act, and the fact that all the available staff are required to deal with the claims for benefit, I have asked that those questions should not be tabled for the present, because they disorganise the work of the Department considerably. As soon as we have the new amending Bill through and the appeals machinery has been altered, the situation will be different, and all those questions can be dealt with in the ordinary way. At present, the work involved in going into individual cases, for the purpose of examining the reason why benefit is being paid or has not been paid, causes considerable dislocation and results in very pressing work having to be postponed. On that account I have asked members of the Dáil to refrain from putting down those questions until the situation has been eased.
Surely the Minister will realise that it is unfair to ask us to forbear from putting Parliamentary questions of this kind. Unless this ultimate resource is open to Deputies, the individual working man, who, through some oversight, has not got his benefit, will have no remedy at all.
The Deputy misunderstands the position. The Minister for Industry and Commerce has nothing whatever to do with decisions in cases of this kind. Those cases are decided by statutory bodies—either the Court of Referees or the umpire. The Minister has no function whatever in relation to that.
The Minister will realise that if a man's claim gets mislaid in the office, no decision having been arrived at, and he is waiting for his benefit, as in the case of question No. 5, and cannot find out why benefit has been refused to him, unless he has the ultimate recourse of having the matter raised in this House, his claim might lie fallow for ever. The same objection applies to my going to the Department concerned and making those inquiries as applies to asking the Minister for the information. I might get the same reply if I applied to the Department; I might be told that it would take too long to find out. I submit that when members of the House fell in with the Minister in the exceptional circumstances in regard to the Unemployment Assistance Act, he should not press that further and ask us to abandon even temporarily the right to ask proper questions with regard to the Unemployment Insurance Act.
Those people have the right to appeal to the local Court of Referees. That is, in fact, their only safeguard against any wrongful withholding of benefits.
But suppose their papers get lost?
Nevertheless, the right to appeal is there.
Suppose a man has made his appeal and the file gets lost. He is waiting and waiting, and nothing happens. Unless we can ask the Minister questions there is no means of getting at the facts of that man's case.
Would the Minister say in what way we can get information for our constituents who are interested in this matter? I get thousands of letters making those inquiries. Would the Minister indicate by what means I can get the necessary information to pass on to those who are interested?
The point I want to make clear to Deputies is that an applicant, whether for unemployment insurance or unemployment assistance, is provided by Statute with the means of having his appeal considered. The Minister for Industry and Commerce has nothing whatever to do with the consideration or determination of those appeals. The sole purpose which could be served by the putting of Parliamentary questions is to get information as to the facts. It does not enable the appeal to be dealt with.
The Minister provides machinery.
But he has nothing to do with the working of the machinery.
But if the machine is not capable of dealing with the position——
It is not. That is why we will have amending legislation before the Dáil next week.
Would the Minister say what remedy is open to an individual if he has not got any reply, or has merely received a reply to say his case is being considered? What machinery can he utilise to see that his case is dealt with within a reasonable time? I put a question to the Minister about it before. As in the case of every other Deputy here, those matters are put up to me by my constituents, and I do not know what the position is. I should like to be in a position to give them the information which they seek.
Might I make this distinction? I am not asking at this juncture that the Minister should furnish answers about individual claims under the Unemployment Assistance Act. I recognise his difficulty. I am asking, however, that he will not withdraw what hitherto he has always vouchsafed, and that is, answers to questions regarding individual cases under the Unemployment Insurance Act. I asked him to reconsider his attitude in regard to this matter. It is only a matter of a few weeks, and the number of queries that will arise will probably not be more than a dozen, but it will give rise to a great deal of inconvenience and irritation if this usual accommodation is withdrawn. Perhaps if I put those questions down at a later date the Minister may be able to see his way to making the required information available.