HC Deb 22 March 1901 vol 91 cc875-6
MR. ROCHE (Galway, E.)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he is a ware that Thomas Madden, Portumna, county Galway, resigned his position as postman after twenty-four years service on a representation made to him by the local postal authorities that he was to receive a pension, and has since been notified that he is not entitled to one: and whether, seeing that this postman received four badges for good conduct during his service and previously during nineteen years service in the Army received five war medals with three clasps, together with four badges for good conduct, his claim for a pension will be reconsidered.

MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN

Of the twenty-four years service rendered by Thomas Madden sixteen years were in the employment, not of the Department, but of the sub-postmaster of Portumna, and it was only in 1891 that he was employed by the Postmaster General as an unestablished postman. As ho did not hold a Civil Service certificate he was ineligible for pension, but if he had completed fifteen years whole-time service as an unestablished postman he would have been eligible for the grant of a Compassionate Gratuity on retirement under the Superannuation Act. When his sick absences became such that he was no longer efficient he was given three months notice that it would be necessary to discontinue his employment, and no promise of either a pension or gratuity was made to him; but particulars of his entire service were called for in order that the case might be thoroughly examined. As, however, Madden had nine years service only as an unestablished postman, the Postmaster General was, he very much regrets, unable to obtain a gratuity for him on retirement. Madden is, it may be stated, in receipt of an Army pension.

MR. ROCHE

But is it not the fact that this man served the Post Office for a considerable number of years?

MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN

That may be so, but the Postmaster General has no power to confer pensions for unestablished service in the Post Office.