§ Mr. R. YOUNGasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what is the number of unemployed persons in Belfast; whether, approximately, 7,000 workers are, owing to sectarian or political persecution, prevented from following their usual employment; whether these workers have been discharged and, therefore, entitled to State unemployment benefit, and if not discarged are they in receipt of said benefit; whether the loss of employment in such cases is equal to the loss of property and, therefore, entitled to compensation; and, if so, from which source?
Dr. MAGNAMARAI have been asked to reply. I have no figures showing the total number of persons unemployed in Belfast. The number of persons registered at the employment exchanges in Belfast as unemployed on 15th October was 6,226. There were at this date about 2,500 ex-service men claiming out-of-work donation, and about 2,800 civilians claiming unemployment benefit, the great majority of whom were either receiving payment or serving the waiting period. The last part of the question presumably relates to the right to compensation for damage to property given by the Malicious Injuries (Ireland) Acts. Although I am not in a position to give legal advice on the matter, I understand that those Acts relate only to injuries to property, and do no give a right to compensation for loss of employment.