Mr. CONOR OKELLY (for Mr. O'Dowd)asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the pension of Mary Connell, of Ougham, Tubbercurry, county Sligo, was stopped because, as alleged by the pension officer, she was not the required age; whether he is aware that the Census Return of 1841 shows Mary Connell, otherwise Brennan, of Bilra, parish of Aehonry, to be 10 months, whilst the Census of 1851 shows her as being 10 years; and can he explain the discrepancy of 10 months, and say whether this woman's pension will be restored to her?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThere is no discrepancy between the Census Returns of 1841 and 1851 in this case, and both Returns show that the claimant has not yet reached the age of 70. She was ten months old when the Census was taken in June, 1841, and was still under eleven, and therefore rightly returned as ten, years of age at the next Census in March, 1851. As a rule, except in the cases of infants, only complete years are given in the Census Returns.
§ Mr. O'DOWDasked whether the right hon. Gentleman can state the grounds on which pensions have been withdrawn from John Wynne, Pat Carey, and Thomas Keane, all of Tubbercurry, county Sligo; and is he aware that their names do not appear either on the Census Returns of 1841 or 1851?
§ Mr. BIRRELLAs the names of these claimants could not be traced in the Census Returns of 1841 or 1851, the Local Government Board asked them to furnish any other evidence of age which they might be able to obtain. The Board did not consider the evidence which they submitted sufficient to establish their age, and accordingly upheld the pension officer's appeals.
§ Mr. O'DOWDasked whether the right hon. Gentleman is aware that Patrick Mullarkey, of Tubbercurry, county Sligo, has been deprived of his old age pension, of which he was in receipt for some months, because, as alleged, he was a resident of the United States for some years; whether Mr. Mullarkey submitted a statement to the Local Government Board three months ago explaining that he went to America on a visit to his children, remaining there only 18 months, and that hi was and still is the rated occupier of four acres of land in Bullgara, Tubbercurry; whether such statement has been endorsed by the local pension committee, who know the circumstances; and whether, seeing that the Local Government Board still retain Mr. Mullarkey's proofs, full inquiries will be made and the case reconsidered?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIn this case the Local Government Board upheld the appeal of the pension officer against the decision of the committee allowing the claimant a pension. The claimant admitted in the-statement which he furnished to the Board that he had been two years and a half in America. It was found on inquiry that 1467 his name was not, and never had been, in the rate-books in respect to the property referred to in the question, and it was also ascertained that there was no house on the plot. The Board were satisfied that the claimant did not fulfil the statutory condition as to residence. It is not open to them to reconsider their decision.
§ Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked whether the right hon. Gentleman will state the number of persons in receipt of old age pensions who died in Ireland during the six months ending July last; and whether he will state the number of applications for pensions received during the same period, the number granted, the number of appeals to the Local Government Board, and their decision?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Hobhouse)Figures for the six months ended 31st July last are not available, but the figures for the six months ended the 30th June last are as follows:—
| The number of persons in receipt of old age pensions reported as having died in Ireland in the six months ended 30th June last was | 7,637 |
| The number of applications for old age pensions received in Ireland during the same period was | 38,123 |
| The number of pensions granted in Ireland in that period was | 25,374 |
| The number of appeals to the Local Government Board in the same period was | 14,109 |
| The number decided was | 14,086 |