§ Mr. GUINEYasked whether, in view of an appeal being lodged by a pension officer against the granting of a pension on the grounds of excessive means, and in which case the local pension committee considers the valuation of the pension officer excessive, the Local Government Board will accept the valuation of a recognised valuer as independent evidence on behalf of the applicant?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board will be prepared to give full consideration to any evidence of value which a claimant may put forward, but they cannot bind themselves to accept in all cases the valuations of persons employed by the claimants on their own behalf.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Chief Secretary if he is aware that Margaret M'Mahon (Mrs. Sullivan), of Askeaton, in the county of Limerick, applied for an old age pension, which was granted to her by the local pension committee on her producing her baptismal certificate that she was seventy years last July; that the pension officer refused it on the ground that from the Census Return she was only sixty-six years, and also on her admission that she was three years older than her brother John, who was returned in the Census as sixty-three years, but who from his baptismal certificate was sixty-seven years; whether in such a case the baptismal certificate is the correct proof of age; and, if so, will he direct the pension officer to grant her the pension?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board, on 30th October, disallowed the pension officer's appeal, and confirmed the pension sub-committee's decision awarding a pension of five shillings a week to Mrs. Sullivan.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Mary O'Sullivan, of Shanagolden, in the county of Limerick, was in receipt of an old age pension from the 1st January, 1909, to December, 1909, and then, without 996 giving any reason but that she was not in the Census Returns, the pension officer deprived her of it; that at the time she got the pension she produced statements of most respectable people in the locality who knew her that she was seventy years of age; and whether he can say that the pension officer had the power to deprive her of the pension without producing proof that she was not seventy years?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board have twice allowed the appeal of the pension officer in this case on the ground that they were not satisfied that Mary O'Sullivan had attained the statutory age. They considered that the statements of belief referred to in the question did not upset the evidence afforded by the fact that her name does not appear in the list of her parents' family in the Census Return of 1841. Pension officers have no power either to allow or disallow pensions, this being a matter for the pension committee, or, on appeal, the Local Government Board.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYHaving regard to the fact that the local pension committee granted this pension, judging by her personal appearance that she was over seventy years of age, how can the Local Government Board upset that when they have not seen her?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board have to act as best they can upon the evidence before them. If they were simply to take the opinion of two or three people as to personal appearance the list would be much swollen.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that James Sullivan, of Askeaton, county Limerick, applied for an old age pension, and on producing his baptismal certificate showing that he was seventy-three years of age the local pension committee granted him 5s. a week; whether he is aware that the pension officer rejected his case on the ground that, having been three years in America, he had no residence in the United Kingdom, and, further, that James Sullivan went to America to see his children with the object of getting from them some money to provide for him; and, under these circumstances, whether he will direct the pension officer to grant him the pension?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis case has not come before the Local Government Board.