asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he is aware that workers employed upon projects of the Office of Public Works are deprived of the benefit of receiving unemployment insurance stamps; and, if so, whether he will consider introducing proposals for legislation to remedy this injustice.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Insurance Stamps.
Mr. Murphy
Employment in agriculture is specifically excepted from the scope of unemployment insurance by paragraph (a) of Part II of the First Schedule to the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920. Most, if not all, rural improvement schemes directly or indirectly subserve agriculture and many of the workers engaged thereon are employed in agriculture within the meaning of the Unemployment Insurance Acts and are consequently not insurable under those Acts. Unemployment insurance contributions are payable, however, in respect of manual workers employed on large-scale engineering schemes carried out by the Office of Public Works for the benefit not only of farmers but of the rest of the population in the area affected.
With regard to the latter part of the question the whole position with regard to the social services is being examined with a view to unification, and a scheme will be announced in due course. This announcement will include the decisions taken on questions of the scope of social insurance, including that covered by the Deputy's suggestion.