§ Mr. HAYDENasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Anne Kerwan, Kiltullagh, county Roscommon, was in receipt of an old age pension from the Castlerea sub-committee up to 14th July 1909, when the pension officer raised the question that she was not of the statutory age according to the 1851 Census; that the Census of 1841 was produced and she was returned in it as 12 years of age, but that the pension officer refused to acknowledge the return of the 1841 Census, and the woman has, since 8th September, been deprived of the pension; and will he state what action he proposes to take in the matter with a view to restoring to this woman her pension?
§ Mr. HAYDENasked the Chief Secretary whether he was aware that Mary Kiernan, Carrowreagh, Castleplunkett, county Ros- 1443 common, was in receipt of an old age pension from the Castlerea sub-committee; that the committee cancelled the pension on the 1st September on the grounds of age; that she made a second application, producing her marriage certificate as proof of age; that the committee then granted her 5s. weekly; and that she was supplied with a pension book and paid two pensions when the pension officer stopped payment and took away her pension book without giving any intimation to the committee; and will he state what were the reasons which induced the pension, officer to take this action?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI will answer this question and No. 14 together. No appeal has been lodged with the Local Government Board in the case of Anne Kerman or in that of Mary Kiernan. I am not, therefore, in a position to give any information on the subject.
§ Mr. HAYDENasked the Chief Secretary whether he was aware that Patrick M'Hugh, of Granlahan, Ballinlough, county Roscommon, was in receipt of an old age pension from the Castlerea committee of 3s. per week, and that the pension officer raised the question of means in the case of this pensioner and appealed to the Local Government Board, and at the same time, on his own initiative and without giving intimation to the pension committee, stopped payment of the pension before the decision of the Local Government Board was made known; and would he state whether the pension officer had a right to stop payment of the pension pending the decision of the Local Government Board?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI understand that the pension officer raised the question that M'Hugh was not entitled to any pension on the ground that his means exceeded the statutory limit. The Local Government Board, however, decided on the 19th January last that they had no jurisdiction to determine the question, and M'Hugh is accordingly still entitled to a pension of 3s. a week. I have no control over pension officers, and I am not, therefore, in a position to answer the concluding portion of the question.