asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that when applications from old I.R.A. men for unemployment assistance are being considered, the pensions payable to the applicants in respect of their I.R.A. service are taken into account for the purpose of diminishing the amount of benefit payable to them, and that in most cases the effect of this procedure is to cause the application for benefit to be refused; and, if so, whether he is prepared to alter the regulations so as to ensure that such pensions granted for national service will not be taken into consideration in assessing the means of applicants for the purpose of unemployment assistance claims.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - I.R.A. Men and Unemployment Assistance.
The Unemployment Assistance Acts are framed so as to provide that the benefits derived therefrom by unemployed persons are related to individual necessities and equality of treatment ensured. The rates of unemployment assistance fixed by the Acts are applicable to persons who possess no means at all or means of one shilling per week or less, but for persons who possess means exceeding one shilling these rates of unemployment assistance are reduced by the value of their means less one shilling. I have no power to exclude by regulation any form of income from the calculation of means for the purpose of the Acts.
In view of the fact that the Minister announced at a Fianna Fáil Cumann meeting last night the intention of the Government to introduce legislation to amend the Unemployment Assistance Act, will he take steps to ensure that the Act is amended in such a way as to make old I.R.A. men who received pensions for national services, entitled to receive benefit under the Unemployment Assistance Act? Sir, are we entitled to get a reply from the Minister on this matter?
It is a separate question.
May I ask the Minister whether he will take steps to ensure that the receipt of an I.R.A. pension by an old I.R.A. man will not operate in such a way as to prevent that person being treated equally with others registered for unemployment who are in receipt of the maximum rates of unemployment assistance benefit?
All persons are treated equally under the Unemployment Assistance Act and all means enjoyed by applicants are taken into account.
Is the Minister not aware of the fact that if an old I.R.A. man with a family has a pension of £1 per week from Army Pension Funds, he has no chance whatever of getting employment on unemployment relief schemes, because persons receiving unemployment assistance benefit have a prior claim to employment on such schemes? Does the Minister consider it fair that these pensions should be used in such a way as to prevent such persons from getting a fair share of employment?
I think the Deputy is deliberately misrepresenting the position.
Is that remark in order?
The Deputy may not be accused of deliberately misrepresenting the position.
I withdraw the word deliberately. The Deputy is misrepresenting the position. Any person with means from any source exceeding £1 per week is not entitled to unemployment assistance.
The Minister knows perfectly well that the position I have represented is in accordance with the actual facts. The Minister is allowing such a situation to continue——
Is the Deputy asking a question?
Yes, Sir. The Minister is allowing that situation to continue, and I want to ask whether he has drafted this legislation so as to ensure that those persons who are in receipt of I.R.A. pensions will not be treated in such a way that the pension is a greater handicap than an asset when it comes to looking for employment on unemployment relief schemes.
The purpose of the Unemployment Assistance Act is to afford assistance to persons with no means.
I.R.A. pensions are being used to deprive men of employment.
The regulations made by the Minister are leaving men idle.