§ MR. O'KELLYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is true that Mr. James Callaghan, late master baker in the Castlerea Union Workhouse, applied to be superannuated while in the service of the union; whether it is true that notice was duly taken of the application by the 922 Board of Guardians, and a motion on the subject made before Mr. Callaghan left the service of the union; whether the Board of Guardians voted a superannuation allowance of £10 per annum in recompense of twenty-four years of faithful service; whether the Local Government Board, in refusing to sanction this allowance, decided on the merits of the case or on a mere technicality; and, whether Mr. Callaghan had failed to do any act, or did any act, which in equity deprived him of a claim to superannuation?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, James Callaghan's services were dispensed with by the Guardians of the Castlerea Union in April, 1876. A notice of motion that he be granted a superannuation allowance was given at the time by one of the Guardians, but was subsequently withdrawn, and the Guardians did not vote him any superannuation allowance. In January, 1881, after an interval of four years and eight months, the Guardians proposed to grant him a superannuation allowance; but the Local Government Board were advised that they could not, after such a lapse of time, legally give their consent.
§ MR. O'KELLYasked whether the man was not entitled in equity to this pension? The man persisted in his claim, and it was owing to the action of others that the technicality arose.
§ MR. TREVELYAN, in reply, said, if the hon. Member wrote him a private letter stating the case, he would put that view before the Board.