asked the Minister for Social Welfare what steps are taken at present to ensure that all people employed in this country or recruited for employment abroad are registered with his Department for social welfare purposes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Registration of Workers.
20.
A person who takes up employment which is insurable under the Social Welfare Acts must present an insurance card to his employer. If the person is taking up employment for the first time he obtains the insurance card from the Department through his local employment office and he is thus registered with the Department for social insurance purposes. Persons recruited for employment abroad are not registered with my Department in respect of such employment. Employment abroad is not insurable under the Social Welfare Acts except in the case of persons who are sent to work temporarily abroad by an employer in this country. Such persons would, of course, already be registered with my Department for social insurance purposes.
Is the Minister not aware that these people are temporarily employed? No one should know this fact better than the Minister. What steps does the Minister propose to take to ensure that these people get the retrospection they deserve with regard to employment stamps?
They were employed abroad.
They were not employed abroad. They were employed in Ireland and sent abroad and the Minister knows that.
Question No. 21.
They were hijacked. The Minister did nothing except write a letter of sympathy.