asked the Minister for Social Welfare why no action has yet been taken to recover unemployment benefit lost by a person (name supplied) as a result of the failure of an employer to stamp his card.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Benefit.
18.
It is not correct to say that no action has been taken to recover the unemployment benefit lost by the insured person in this case. In accordance with established procedure three formal demands have been made by my Department on the employer in question for payment of the amount of the loss. In response to the final demand for payment, solicitors, acting for the employer, made certain representations which required examination. The representations have not been accepted and the case is accordingly being sent to the Chief State Solicitor with a view to legal proceedings, if he considers that the facts so warrant.
Would the Minister not agree that a delay of 12 months, where an employee loses benefit because of the failure of an employer to stamp his card, is excessive? Where an employee says he is not in a position to take legal action in this respect, the Department should do so rather than have the employee waiting 12 months. This man was expected to live on nothing — Deputy O'Connell spoke about £2 a week — whereas the employer who failed to stamp his card, and who had money belonging to him, was a wealthy man.
The employer got his solicitor to write in and to make a case for him.
He could pay a solicitor but he could not stamp the man's cards.