asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state whether, in view of the anticipated return to this country of a large number of insured Irish workers in the immediate future, any representations have been made by the Government of Éire to the British Government to secure for workers of Irish nationality who have been contributing to national health insurance over long periods in Great Britain that such workers should receive benefits in Great Britain, or, alternatively, that some reciprocal arrangements be made to ensure that these benefits will be paid in Éire on the return of these workers to this country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Workers and British Unemployment Insurance.
I am not aware that workers of Irish nationality in Great Britain who have paid contributions under the National Health Insurance Acts in force there are debarred from receiving benefits under those Acts if they are qualified therefor.
The National Health Insurance (Great Britain) Reciprocal Arrangements Order, 1924, provides for the continuity of insurance of persons who having been insured in this country become resident and employed in Great Britain and of persons who having been insured in Great Britain become resident and employed in this country. The position of a person with a British insurance who returns to this country depends on whether he takes up insurable employment and whether he joins the National Health Insurance Society. If he takes up employment and joins the society the reciprocal arrangements apply to make the two insurances continuous, he is transferred accordingly to the society and benefit becomes payable by it. If he takes up employment but does not join the National Health Insurance Society his British insurance and membership of the British society subsist until the end of the second half-year following the half-year in which he takes up employment here and benefit is payable by the British society during that period. If he does not take up employment here his British insurance continues for the "free period" allowed by the British Acts (an average of 21 months) during which he remains subject to the provisions of those Acts. These Acts provide that a person shall not be entitled (save in the first six months of temporary residence in certain countries including Ireland) to any benefit during any period when he is resident, whether temporarily or permanently, outside the United Kingdom.
Is the Minister aware that an Irishman employed in England having 18 months stamps on his card and coming back to Éire and having another 18 months stamps on his card is not eligible for benefit in either country because he has not been employed for two years in either country, although he has been working for three years—18 months in one country and 18 months in the other? Will the Minister remedy that position?
That is quite a separate question.
It has been asked several times and evasive replies were given. I would ask the Minister to consider the matter.