§ Mr. HACKETTasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the Local Government Board refused on appeal to sanction an old age pension to John Wallace, Clareen, Ardmayle, Cashel, on the grounds that he resided out of the country within the last ten years; whether he has resided in Ireland except for a period of seven months, when he went on a visit to 482 his three sons in America; and whether he will advise the Local Government Board to grant him a pension?
§ Mr. BIRRELLJohn Wallace's claim was disallowed by the local pension subcommittee in December, 1908, and the committee's decision was confirmed on appeal by the Local Government Board. Wallace was nine months out of the United Kingdom within the past twenty years and during this absence had, on his own admission, no home here. It is not open to the Board to reconsider their decision.
§ Mr. DANIEL BOYLEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he will state the basis on which the means of James Kavanagh, of Knockaville, county Mayo, number in register 62 S. R., were calculated by the Local Government for Ireland in order to enable them to arrive at the decision that he was not entitled to a pension, his means exceeding the statutory limit; whether he is aware that the only means which James Kavanagh has is a right of maintenance, including board and lodging, reserved to him under an assignment in favour of his son, executed in March, 1909, on the occasion of the latter's marriage; whether he is aware that the local pension committee awarded a pension of 5s. per week, judged the annual value of a right of maintenance such as that reserved in this case; whether he will now state what annual value the Local Government Board have put in their right of maintenance; and whether they had the assistance of a report from one of their inspectors as to the means and circumstances of the applicant?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe local pension committee awarded a pension of 5s. a week to James Kavanagh as stated. The Local Government Board upheld the pension officer's appeal on the ground that the value of the maintenance and other privileges which Kavanagh derived from the farm he assigned to his son in the circumstances mentioned exceeded £31 10s. a year. The farm contained twenty-six acres of good land, and was well stocked, besides having nine acres under tillage. The answer to the last paragraph of the question is in the negative.