asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he will state the number of applications for qualification certificates under the Unemployment Assistance Act still awaiting a decision and if he will state the number of such applications which were lodged (a) prior to 1st January, 1935, (b) prior to 1st April, 1935, and (c) 1st July, 1935.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Assistance Certificates.
All applications for qualification certificates have been determined with the exception of (a) those in which investigation officers have not completed their investigations and (b) those in which the applicants have, since they made their applications, left the addresses, at which they had resided and are not available for the necessary interrogation in connection with their applications. Applications described at (a) are, it is presumed, of recent dote but it is not possible to indicate the dates on which they were lodged without an examination of each case and as the applications are in the hands of investigating officers all over the country such examination is impracticable. The applications described at (b) relate to persons whose present addresses are unknown and whose reappearance is awaited. The present position is, therefore, that every application for a qualification certificate which it is possible to decide has already been determined.
Obviously, the Minister is walking the tight rope in framing a reply of that kind to the question. Does he deny that there are applications for qualification certificates in his Department now for over 12 months?
Certainly.
Does he deny it?
Yes.
The Minister must be wrongly informed.
I think Deputy Norton is talking about appeals, but he did not base his question on that.
The Minister must know that there are a number of applications.
There are no applications for qualification certificates which have not been determined except those of recent date or those, to which I have referred, where it has not been found possible to get in touch with the applicants.
The Minister is aware that a number of these are in the hands of the investigation officers.
They are all of quite recent date.
What does the Minister mean by that?
I mean that they are current cases.
Does the Minister deny that there are a number of applications in for 12 months?
Certainly.
Or for six months?
I do. I deny that there are any applications outstanding for that period which have not been determined. There are appeals against the determination, but that is a different thing.
They may have been determined, but the applicants have not got word of it.
They have been informed.
That is not so.
Well, I know at least as much about the matter as the Deputy does.
The Minister knows nothing about it.
Could the Minister say how many applications for qualification certificates are under investigation?
No.
Has he any idea of the number?
Very little.
Can the Minister say, in regard to the determination of the applications, how many of them have been appealed against by the applicants?
That is a separate question.
Obviously.
Well, Sir, the Minister himself introduced the differentiation.
That does not put it in order.