asked the Minister for Social Welfare why a person (name supplied) in County Meath was not allowed to obtain unemployment benefit in view of the fact that she had fulfilled all the contribution conditions and had provided documentary evidence of her efforts to obtain employment.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Benefit Claim.
33.
Two recent claims to unemployment benefit by the person in question were disallowed by deciding officers on the ground that the statutory condition for receipt of unemployment benefit which requires a claimant to be available for employment was not satisfied on either claim. The decisions of the deciding officers were upheld by appeals officers after oral hearings at which the claimant attended and gave evidence.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that this lady is a qualified machinist and that she applied to all the firms in the vicinity who give employment to machinists and had letters from all of them saying they did not have any vacancies? Is this not adequate evidence that she was seeking employment and was available for employment?
The Minister cannot interfere with the decisions of appeals officers which are final. They heard her oral evidence and still decided that she was not entitled to unemployment benefit.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary give me some guidance in relation to the regulations? Do the regulations take any account of the efforts of a person to get employment and of documentary evidence produced that she sought employment? What is the position in relation to such documents?
The only thing I can say to the Deputy is that I will send him a copy of the regulations. I have not got them here.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary know what is in them?