asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will appoint a committee of independent business men and doctors to examine the conditions of the families of the unemployed so far as their supplies of food and other essential commodities are concerned and also their ability to pay the rising prices for necessaries on their present inadequate allowances; and if, pending the result of the examination and report of such a committee, he will sanction payment at an early date of an emergency bonus to all unemployed to enable them to meet their present difficulties.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Position of Unemployed.
A committee of the kind suggested in the first part of the question would serve no useful purpose. Unemployment assistance was never intended to provide for unemployed persons the equivalent of full wages. It was intended merely to help persons over periods of unemployment to the maximum extent which the resources of the country could afford.
As to the second part, the rates of unemployment benefit and assistance are fixed by statutes and I have no power to vary these rates. In this connection, I would refer the Deputy to the reply given on the 19th October last to a question asked by Deputy Hickey. I have no funds at my disposal out of which a bonus could be paid as suggested by the Deputy. I would draw the Deputy's attention to the fact that the benefits payable under the Unemployment Insurance Acts were fixed in 1920 when the cost of living index was 276, i.e., much higher than the present figure of 173.
Mr. Byrne
The Minister states that he has no power to vary these allowances as they are fixed by statute. We spend all our time here amending statutes and that is a statute that could be amended and that, I consider, should be amended so as to bring the allowances up to a figure that would be adequate.