§ MR. COGAN, (Wicklow, E.)To ask the Secretary to. the Treasury whether he has, as promised, looked into the question of pensions withheld from the inmates of Irish lunatic asylums, and if he is now able to state that a sum equivalent to the amount so withheld, will be paid' into the local taxation account, or to make the pensions payable 1395 to the persons who are dependent on the pensioners.
(Answered by Mr. McKenna.) I have looked into this question, and I find that no pensions have been withheld from the inmates of Irish lunatic asylums, which could legally have been paid to them. After making the deduction, if any, necessitated explicitly by Section 7 of the Superannuation Act of 1887, the net pension is paid to the local authority which is responsible for the maintenance of the pensioner in the asylum. If it is more than sufficient to cover the cost of his maintenance therein, the balance, after deducting the cost of such maintenance, is paid to his representatives.