§ MR. HAYDEN (Roscommon, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that an appeal by the pensions officer against the decision of the Roscommon pensions Committee in the case of Thomas Conboy was recently decided by the Local Government Board; whether the Board before giving its decision was aware that the relief ex- 1270 tended to applicant was in the nature of provisional or medical relief given by the relieving officer in kind by the order of the medical officer, and that upon further consideration of the case the pensions officer himself declared that this was a case for a pension; and whether, in view of all the circumstances, he will request the Local Government Board to reopen the matter with a view to considering the further evidence obtained in regard to it.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe reply to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative. Before deciding the appeal the Local Government Board satisfied themselves that the relief afforded was not saved by the proviso to Section 3 (1) (a) of the Old-Age Pensions Act. This decision is, under the statute, final and conclusive.