asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state if there is any agreement between the Irish Government and the British Government as to the investigation by the police force here in regard to maintenance of dependents at home of Irish workers; what Government is responsible for the payment of the police while engaged in such work; if any contribution towards the cost of this investigation is made by the British Government; and if any contribution is made by this Government towards the subsistence allowances being paid to such workers in Britain.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Dependents of Workers in Britain.
It is assumed that the Deputy's question relates to the British Lodging Allowance Scheme.
Under this scheme lodging allowances are paid to workers in Great Britain who have been transferred from their home area to employment in certain industries, provided that the workers establish to the satisfaction of the British Ministry of Labour and National Service that, prior to their transfer, they were the main support of their homes and continue to maintain their homes in the area from which they were transferred. In December, 1941, the British authorities agreed to extend the benefits of this scheme to Irish citizens who went to employment in Great Britain since June, 1940, on the same basis as applicable to British workers. To enable this decision to be implemented, the British Ministry of Labour and National Service sought the assistance of my Department in the matter of the transmission of certain particulars supplied by dependents here in support of our workers' claims for these allowances.
The co-operation of the Gárdaí is sought by my Department as a matter of convenience in establishing the position of dependency claims where the claimant's home is too great a distance from the local office to warrant direct clearance.
No contribution to the cost of such inquiries is made by the British Government, nor do we make any contribution towards lodging allowances paid to Irish workers in Great Britain.