§ Mr. DUFFYasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the clerks of sub-committees under the Old Age Pensions Act in the county of Galway have yet been paid their fees for the quarters ended 10 the 31st March, 1909, and 30th June, 1909; whether the accounts rendered by them have been found in comparison with the numbers furnished by the pension officers to be correct; and, if so, will he state why they have not been paid up to the present?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSESubject to the reservation of one or two items which are still under inquiry, the accounts for the March quarter have now been paid. The account for the June quarter was not received by the Treasury until the 10th instant, and the charges for claims and questions contained therein do not agree with the pension officers' returns. The discrepancies are under investigation, but in the meantime payments on account are being made to the clerk of the committee and to the clerks of the various subcommittees. The delay which has occurred in connection with the accounts for the March quarter has been due partly to the fact that the numbers of claims and questions charged for in the various sub-accounts did not agree with the officers' returns, and partly to complications arising through claims arising in the district served by one of the sub-committees having been dealt with by another sub-committee.
§ Mr. J. C. FLYNNIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the same grievance obtains in Cork, where people have not yet been paid who should have been paid on 31st March?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEIn a great number of counties it is unfortunately the case that the accounts have been rendered late, and when rendered late have not been accompanied by similar accounts rendered by the pensions officers, by which it might be seen whether they tallied. It is a reasonable delay.
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEWhere they have tallied, so far as I know, there has been no delay.