asked the Minister for Finance if he will state whether, in the selection of men for employment on relief schemes, consideration will be given to the claims of British ex-Servicemen for employment on such schemes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment on Relief Schemes.
Due consideration is given to the claims of all classes of the community for employment on relief schemes. The standard rule governing the recruitment of workers for relief schemes is that preference in employment is given to recipients of unemployment assistance; and priority is given to those in receipt of higher rates over persons in receipt of lower rates.
British ex-Servicemen are already as eligible for employment on relief works as any other classes of the community.
The Parliamentary Secretary has stated that relief work is given to men in receipt of unemployment assistance. At what rate?
I do not quite understand the Deputy's question.
The Parliamentary Secretary stated that relief work is given to those in receipt of unemployment assistance. Is that correct?
The statement in the answer to the Deputy's question is entirely correct.
Arising out of the reply, will the Parliamentary Secretary say whether he is aware that the receipt of a pension by an ex-Serviceman of the British Army or of the National Army not infrequently disentitles him to unemployment assistance and, as a result of that, prevents him getting any share of the work on unemployment relief schemes; and whether he will consider taking under a special review the cases of persons who are in receipt of Army pensions, either from the National Army or the British Army, with a view to ensuring that although they are not entitled to unemployment assistance, they will be afforded an opportunity from time to time of earning some money by working on these unemployment relief schemes?
I will refer the Deputy to an answer given to a Parliamentary Question on the 11th March, 1937, to Deputy Reidy in relation to the employment of British ex-Servicemen, and to a question by Deputy Norton on the 17th November, 1937, re unemployment assistance to old I.R.A. men. I have nothing to add to that.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary not see his way, then, to give special consideration to those people who are not seeking exceptional amounts of unemployment assistance, but merely ask that a regulation, which may or may not be unobjectionable in ordinary circumstances, will not be allowed to operate so as to deprive them of any chance of ever getting work under relief schemes?
I have nothing to add to the answer I have given the Deputy.