§ MR. DELANY (Queen's County, Ossory)To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a quarter of the total old-age pension claims have been sent in from Ireland; and can he say what proportion of the Excise staff have been told off to grapple with the Irish claims.
(Answered by Mr. Lloyd-George.) From the Returns already furnished, more than a quarter of the total pension claims received have been sent in from Ireland. As a large proportion of the Excise staff are engaged upon duties other than or additional to those relating to old-age pensions the proportion which have 1673 been told off to grapple with the Irish claims cannot be given. At present 230 pension officers are employed in the actual investigation of claims in Ireland, aided in the clerical work by a large staff of assistant officers.