§ Mr. JOHN WALSHasked why the claims of Jeremiah Cahalane and Cornelius Collins, both of Clonakilty workhouse, for old age pensions were rejected by the Local Government Board on appeal on 9th January last, notwithstanding that such claims were unanimously admitted and passed by the local urban pension committee, the Board basing their objection on the ground that the claimants would refuse to leave the union; and, seeing that both claimants are resolved to leave the workhouse on receiving pension books and that they will therefore be suitably looked after by responsible relatives, and that an affidavit to this effect has in both cases been duly sworn and lodged with the Board, will steps be now taken to secure pensions to both applicants?
§ The CHIEF SECRETARY for IRELAND (Mr. Birrell)These claims were disallowed on the ground that the claimants were in receipt of ordinary Poor Law relief. Cahalane has been an inmate of the workhouse for eighteen years and Collins for thirteen years, and the Local Government Board were not satisfied that they could now maintain themselves outside the workhouse, or that they had any genuine intention of definitely leaving it. The pension officer reported that during his investigation the claimants declared their unwillingness to leave the union "except perhaps for a week or two," and that it was his impression that as soon as the pensions were paid to these men they would return to the workhouse as paying patients in the infirmary.