asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of recipients of unemployment assistance in County Mayo, and the number who have had their allowances reduced or stopped in the past three years to the latest accounting date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Assistance in Mayo.
7.
Statistics of numbers of recipients of Unemployment Assistance are not kept on a county area basis, and the information sought by the Deputy in this regard in respect of County Mayo is accordingly not available. As regards the remainder of the information required, the Deputy is no doubt aware that the means of holders of qualification certificates must be reviewed when any change occurs in the circumstances of a holder e.g. acquirement of property, marriage, change of address. The means of self-employed persons must also be re-examined periodically. Apart from the other reasons mentioned the means of the holder of a qualification certificate must also be re-investigated if his circumstances have not been reviewed for a number of years.
The numbers of unemployment assistance cases in County Mayo reviewed by Officers of my Department in discharge of their statutory duties in the years ended 31st October, 1958, 31st October, 1959, and 31st October, 1960, were 423, 885, and 995 respectively. Unemployment assistance was reduced in 187, 489 and 535 cases respectively and disallowed in 84, 272 and 266 cases respectively.
Prior to September, 1958, the assessment of means for unemployment assistance purposes, where such were derived from the occupation of land, was based on values for stock, crops, etc. adopted in 1940. Since September, 1958, up-to-date values, as are used for old age pensions purposes, have been applied to the assessment of means for unemployment assistance purposes.