asked the Minister for Labour if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties being experienced by employees who are coming off unemployment benefit assistance to take up work where wages or salaries are paid on a monthly basis, as these employees are left without any income for three weeks; and if he will take any legislative or other measures to protect workers in this situation.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Benefit Assistance.
12.
The existing legislation in relation to the payment of wages deals with the mode of payment and not the frequency of payment. Proposals for a new Payment of Wages Bill have been prepared in consultation with the social partners and the situation referred to by the Deputy was not raised in this context.
Individuals taking up employment after a period in receipt of unemployment benefit/assistance are in a similar situation with respect to payment as many other individuals taking on new employment. It would be extremely difficult to comprehend in legislation the variety of payment arrangements which exist so as to meet the Deputy's concerns. The frequency of payment and any arrangements for advance payment are matters best left for negotiation between employers and employees.
Would the Minister not accept that, perhaps, not his Department but the Department of Social Welfare, should exercise some flexibility to ensure that no hardship is felt by those who find themselves in this position?
I imagine the Deputy's question arises from an individual case where somebody who obtains a job, goes off the live register and is perhaps a month without a salary. I can see the personal difficulty involved. To try to get an employer to pay in advance in that case would be virtually impossible. The only way would be if an employer was sympathetic to the cause but I am not sure how it could be done on a global basis.
The time has now come to deal with Priority Questions. We come then to Question No. 22 in the name of Deputy Jim Mitchell. I have four questions to dispose of within the quarter of an hour for this purpose. I feel sure I shall have the co-operation of the Deputies concerned to dispose of all four questions within the prescribed time.