§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he is aware that Mrs. Ellen O'Connell, of Knockbrack, Abbeyfeale, in the county of Limerick, was granted an old age pension by the local committee, but on the appeal of the pension officer the Local Government Board declined to sanction it; that owing to the parish register at Ardagh, where she was born, being destroyed she submitted a certificate of age of her brother, Michael King, who was then 77 years, with a statement that she was his junior by 2½ years, and a certificate of birth of her third-born child, dated 5th August, 1867, with a statement of an old man 81 years of age, who knew her all her life, to the effect that she was over 70 years of age; and whether, from these facts, he will take steps to see that she gets the pension?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board upheld the Pension Officer's appeal as it appeared that Mrs. O'Connell was only seven years old when the Census "was taken in 1851, which would make her now about sixty-seven. The only other evidence before the Board as to her age was her statement that she was next in age to her brother Michael, then in his seventy-sixth year, and that her eldest child, if living, would then be about forty-three years old. This child is apparently the one now alleged to be her third. She did not forward the documents mentioned in the question until the Board's decision on the appeal had been communicated to her.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYHow did the Local Government Board make out that she was not seventy years of age if her name was not in the Census?
§ Mr. BIRRELLShe was in the Census of 1851 as seven years old
§ Mr. SHEEHANasked whether the Chief Secretary is aware that the claim of Mrs. Nora Cronin, of Coolnacaghera, was considered by the Macroom (No. 2) pension committee; that every endeavour was made to find records of her birth in the parish register of Inchigeelagh and in the Census returns of the period, but without result; that she then procured the best available documentary evidence of her age, namely the sworn declaration of a man named Creed, of Ballingeary, himself seventy-three years of age and in receipt of a pension, who stated that he knew Nora Cronin when she was a little girl, and that she was older than he; 1218 whether the Macroom pension committee, on the production of this proof, unanimously supported Mrs. Cronin's claim; will he, therefore, state the reason why it was disallowed by the Local Government Board; whether, in view of their own regulations, this was eminently a case in which a pension should have been granted; and will he recommend that her claim should be allowed forthwith?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board inform me that Mrs. Cronin submitted a declaration by John Creedon, of Aharas declaring that he was seventy-one years of age and believed Mrs. Cronin to be two years older. The Board were not satisfied that she had attained the statutory age. They have no power to reconsider their decision. The Board do not know what regulation is referred to in the last part of the question.
§ Mr. SCANLANasked whether the Chief Secretary's attention has been directed to the claim for a pension, under the Old Age Pensions Act, of Mrs. Anne Finnerty, Camphill, Collooney, county Sligo; whether he is aware that her claim, which was supported by documentary evidence that her oldest child was nine years of age on 13th March, 1871, and by the affidavits of two respectable people, known to be over seventy years of age, who testify that to their knowledge the applicant is over seventy years of age, was passed by the local pension committee, whose members are unanimously of opinion that she is qualified as to age; whether he will state on what grounds the Local Government Board disallowed the claim; and, whether, on a reconsideration of all the circumstances, he will order that the pension be paid to Mrs. Finnerty with arrears?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board have not now the papers relating to the case referred to, but the documentary evidence mentioned does not appear to have been before them when they gave their decision in August last. Mrs. Finnerty's name did not appear in the Census Return of her parents' family in 1841, and her age was recorded as only five years in 1851, so that she is now about sixty-five years old. The Board, having no satisfactory evidence before them to show that she had reached the statutory age, they had no option but to allow the question which the Pension Officer had raised as to her right to a pension. It is not open to them to reconsider this 1219 decision. Mrs. Finnerty, however, has submitted a fresh claim, which the Board are at present investigating.
§ Mr. MEAGHERasked the Chief Secretary whether he was aware that the Castlecomer pension sub-committee, at their meeting held on the 16th December last, provisionally granted pensions of 5s. to, among other claimants, several inmates of the Castlecomer Union workhouse, that these pensioners have had their pensions appealed against since the decision of the committee was given, and that two of these inmates, namely, Margaret Curran and Anne Tracey, have been deprived within the present month of their pension books by the pension officer; and whether he will state on what authority the pension officer acted in thus depriving these pensioners of the benefits of the Old Age Pension Act, having regard to the fact that there was no appeal made against the decision of the local committee?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board inform me that the pension officer was presumably acting in accordance with the provisions of Article 2 (3) of the Old Age Pensions Regulations, 1910, under which if the person to whom a pension has been provisionally awarded as from a specified date does not appear likely to be entitled to a pension on that date the award does not take effect, and the claim has to be dealt with afresh as if it were a new claim. The Board have not received appeals in the two cases mentioned in the question and have no information on the matter.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he can say why it was that Mrs. Johanna Quirk, of Kilconlea, in the parish of Abbeyfeale, in the county of Limerick, who was in receipt of an old age pension, was deprived of it, having regard to the fact that from the evidence adduced the local committee were satisfied that she was entitled to it; whether it is the fact that the pension officer, Mr. Erskine, stated to the Local Government Board that he was also satisfied she was seventy years of age; and whether, when she cannot through no fault on her part, her age not being in any census, produce documentary evidence, discretionary power ought to be given to the local committee and officer in such a case?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board upheld the appeal of the Pension Officer against the decision of the local pension sub-committee on the ground that there was no proof of Mrs. Quirk having attained the statutory age. The Board are unable to say definitely whether the pension officer reported that he was satisfied she was seventy years old, as they are no longer in possession of the papers, but they have no record of any such report. Mrs. Quirk's parents were traced in the Census of 1841, from which it appeared that they were married in 1837, and had two children when the Census was taken, one aged three years, and the other aged two. Mrs. Quirk's own name, however, did not appear, and it would therefore seem that she was not then born.
Mr. KELLYasked why Dominick McMenamin, of Ballinacor, Killygordon, county Donegal, was deprived of his pension which was granted to him by the Stranorlar (county Donegal) sub-committee; were any fresh facts forthcoming to justify such action; and, if so, what were these facts?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe pension officer raised a question that McMenamin had not reached the statutory age, and the Local Government Board, having sent an inspector to investigate the case, allowed the question. The documents are not now in the Board's possession.
§ Mr. LONSDALEasked for the number of persons in Irish workhouses who became qualified to receive old age pensions on 1st January last; the number of such persons who have received pensions; and the number, if any, who have relinquished them and returned to the workhouses?
§ Mr. BIRRELLAccording to the figures supplied to the Local Government Board by the clerks of the several unions, the number of paupers in the workhouses in Ireland at the end of last year who were over seventy years of age was 7,670, and of these 2,024 were awarded old age pensions by the committees. Appeals, however, against these awards have been lodged in some cases, and in others the claimants have returned to the workhouses, but the Board are not in a position to state the exact number.
§ Mr. LONSDALEasked whether the Chief Secretary is able to state the total amount which boards of guardians in Ireland will be required to pay in the current 1221 financial year towards the cost of old age pensions granted since the 1st January to persons who were previously disqualified through having received Poor Law relief.
§ Mr. BIRRELLI must ask the hon. Member to await the proposals of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.