asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he is aware that applicants for unemployment benefit at Cork employment exchange have been directed by the management to sign at the exchange at a certain time fixed by the management, and that applicants who failed to sign at the stipulated time have been refused payment of benefit in respect of days upon which they so failed to sign; if he will indicate the statutory provisions enabling managers of employment exchanges to adopt the procedure followed in the Cork exchange, and whether, in the event of such procedure not being authorised by statutory provisions, he is prepared to make arrangements for payment of arrears to those persons whose unemployment benefit was withheld.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Signing at Cork Employment Exchange.
I am aware that a small number of men who persistently refused to attend at Cork Employment Exchange at or near the times allotted to them under the general timing arrangements in force at that office were refused payment of unemployment benefit or assistance in respect of those days on which they so failed to sign.
A timing arrangement has been in force in all the bigger Employment Exchanges throughout the country for many years. In a large exchange like Cork it is essential to the efficient working of the office and also to prevent congestion with resultant serious delay and inconvenience to persons attending the exchange. The relevant statutory provisions are Section 29 of the Social Welfare Act, 1952, and Article 15 (1) (a) of the Social Welfare (Claims and Payments) Regulations, No. 374 of 1952; Sections 7 and 15 of the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1933, and Regulation 1 (a) of S.R. & O. No. 126 of 1934.