§ Mr. J. P. FARRELLasked if the right hon. Gentleman will state the grounds upon which Catherine Molloghan, of Soran, Ballinalee, county Longford, has been refused an old age pension, notwithstanding the fact that her oldest child is over forty-five years of age; and will he direct the pension officer to withdraw his objection in this case?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYNo appeal has been received regarding the claim of Catherine Molloghan to a pension, and the Local Government Board have therefore no information respecting the case. A pension officer is not under the jurisdiction of the Board.
§ Mr. GINNELLasked, if the absence of the name of an applicant for an old age pension through no fault of his from the Census Returns and parish register is not fatal to his claim, will he say on what other evidence the Irish Local Government Board refuse James Mullen, of Delvin, pension appeal X 1418, the pension voted to him in 1900 and again in 1911 by the Delvin sub-committee; and, in view of those votes, supported as to age by the affidavit of an older man and the general repute of the district in which Mullen has spent his whole life, and the belief of the sub-committee that two years and a-half arrears of pension are now due to Mullen, will the Board take any action in the matter?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYThe absence of a claimant's name from the Census Returns is not necessarily fatal to his claim. James Mullen did not know the date of his birth, and furnished the Local Government Board with no satisfactory evidence to show that he had reached the age of seventy. The Board accordingly considered that he had failed to discharge the onus resting upon him of showing that he fulfilled the statutory condition as to age, and they disallowed the claim. It is not open to the Board to re-open the matter of their own motion, but it is possible for the claimant to make a fresh application, and to produce any available evidence.
§ Mr. GINNELLWill the right hon. Gentleman say if this pension sub-committee make a fresh application, it will serve as an appeal?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYOh, no. The regular course would be to apply first of all to the local pension committee, and whether an appeal would be taken or not would depend upon whether the claim was supported or not.