§ 30. Mr. WILLIAM O'BRIENasked what is the amount of the contributions paid by employers and employés in Ireland under the National Insurance Act; and what is the amount of the payments made to insured persons under the heads of sanatorium benefit, medical benefit, sick allowance, and unemployment?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe total amount received from the contributions of employers and employed under Part I. of the National Insurance Act from 15th July, 1912, to 13th April, 1913, was £512,671. The payments by insurance committees (not including capital Grants from the Exchequer towards the provision of sanatoria) in respect of sanatorium benefit was about £6,700. There is no medical benefit in Ireland. Sick benefit, which commenced in January of this year, is administered by over 500 societies and branches and thirty-nine insurance committees in Ireland, and the amounts paid out up to date could not be ascertained without calling for a special Return from all these societies and committees. My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade asks me to state that the contributions paid by employers and employed under Part II. of the Act in Ireland from 15th July, 1912, to 19th April, 1913, amounted to £47,427, and that from 15th January, 1913, to 19th April, £12,464 was paid to workmen on direct claims, and about £2,524 allowed to associations in respect of claims through them, making a total in respect of unemployment benefit of £14,988.
§ Mr. W. O'BRIENWhat is the difficulty about giving, for Ireland, a Return as to the amount of sick benefit, seeing that a similar Return, I understand, has already been given for this country?
§ Mr. MASTERMANNot as to the amount of sick benefit, because that is paid by the approved societies. I should have 788 to send a circular to every approved society in Ireland. If the hon. Gentleman presses for the information, I have no particular wish to refuse it; but it makes a lot of extra work for the approved societies.
§ Mr. W. O'BRIENI am sorry that extra work should be given, but it is of some importance that we should learn how much the Irish workers get in exchange for £512,000.
§ Mr. THOMASWill the right hon. Gentleman remember that the approved societies cannot meet this work unless they get an additional Grant; so that if he contemplates sending a circular he is not likely to get much information?
§ Mr. SHEEHANWhat difficulty can there be in getting a Return of what is paid quarterly by the approved societies?
§ Mr. MASTERMANIt is a question of book-keeping. The approved societies' secretaries are very hardly worked at present, especially in connection with bringing the Act into operation, and I do not want to increase their labour.
§ Mr. SHEEHANHave not the approved societies to make out their accounts every quarter of the amount paid out?
§ Mr. W. THORNEIs it not a fact that in due course of time, when you get the balance-sheet of the approved societies, you will be able to get the information?
§ Mr. MASTERMANIt is purely a matter of time. All these figures I hope to present to the House at the earliest possible opportunity.
§ Mr. W. O'BRIENWill the right hon. Gentleman give us the Return which he promised?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI will give the figures up to a certain date; I cannot promise them up to the present date.
§ Mr. MAURICE HEALYDoes not the fact that a portion of the contribution is paid by the State involve a Return?
§ Mr. MASTERMANCertainly, but not up to the present date. I can give all the figures if the hon. Gentleman will have a little patience.