asked the Minister for Social Welfare why payment of unemployment benefit has been held up in the case of an applicant in County Kerry (name supplied), particularly as the claim was substantiated by sworn evidence.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Kerry Unemployment Benefit Applicant.
32.
The person in question exhausted an entitlement to 156 days unemployment benefit on 21st April, 1966, and needed 13 contributions in respect of insurable employment after that date to qualify for further benefit.
He next claimed benefit on 19th April, 1967, and lodged with the claim his 1967 insurance card bearing six stamps stated to cover employment with two farmers for one day in each of four weeks and two weeks respectively. These stamps, when added to seven paid for 1966, gave precisely the total of 13 required for requalification for benefit. In all the circumstances, it was considered necessary to investigate the insurability of the various employments and consequently the validity of the contributions for benefit purposes.
Having considered the results of the investigations, a deciding officer decided that the employment in 1966 was insurable under the Social Welfare Acts but that the employments represented by the six stamps in 1967 were not so insurable on the ground that they were not under contract of service. The claimant appealed against the negative portion of this decision, as did one of the two employers concerned. Following an oral hearing at which sworn evidence was taken from the two employers and the claimant, an appeals officer upheld the decision of the deciding officer. The decision of the appeals officer is final.
It follows from the invalidation of the six contributions in question that the claim of 19th April, 1967, for unemployment benefit failed and the claim was disallowed accordingly. The claimant was paid unemployment assistance from that date pending determination of the claim for benefit and payment is continuing since the determination.
I have a case that would relate to this——
This case relates to County Kerry. We cannot discuss any other case on this question.
It would be strictly related——
It is not related to the question on the Order Paper. Question No. 36.