asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he is aware, of the hardship and the financial loss involved for unemployed persons from Finglas, Dublin, who must travel to Gardiner Street; and if he will arrange that the persons in question will have suitable signing-on facilities.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployed Signing Facilities.
5.
Unemployed persons in Finglas are subject to the signing arrangements which obtain generally in the Dublin area, whereby persons residing within a radius of four miles from the employment exchange attend there twice weekly and those in the four-to-six miles range attend only once weekly. These attendance requirements are not onerous and they are regarded as the minimum safeguard to ensure the fulfilment of the conditions for the receipt of unemployment payments and the prevention of abuses.
The great majority of unemployed persons in the Finglas area at present are required to attend only once a week on the day on which they receive their weekly payments in cash from the exchange. These would, therefore, get no advantage from the provision of local signing facilities as suggested.
This is not in any case a matter which could be considered in isolation. Special facilities could not be granted to Finglas without recognising that all similar parts of the entire Dublin area would be entitled to equivalent treatment.
Have the Department considered setting up branch exchanges in outlying areas?
I understand that on previous occasions this matter was under consideration but because of the requirements regarding premises and staff it was not favourably considered at the time.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that the people concerned incur a considerable financial loss in travelling to sign at the exchanges?
I agree there is financial loss to the person involved. I would be prepared to have the matter further considered.