§ 20. Mr. MULDOONasked the Secretary to the Treasury why the fees of clerks of pension sub-committees in Cork county have been withheld for the past twelve months; whether he is aware that since the Old Age Pension Act was passed that the fees due to pension clerks of the county of Cork are always greatly in arrears; and if he will now take steps to have the amounts due to them paid immediately, and in future paid quarterly, as laid down by the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury in their regulations relating to the payment of pension clerks?
§ 73. Mr. CREANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether an amount of arrears of salary is due to the clerks of the sub-pension committees of the county of Cork; and, if so, can he explain the reason why?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Masterman)The punctual payment of these fees depends on the promptness and accuracy with which the accounts are rendered to the Board of Customs and Excise by the clerk to the the local pension committee for the county, through whom the claims of the clerks to sub-committees are preferred. The accounts of fees due for claims and questions for the nine months ended 30th June, 1912, were not received from the clerk to the county Cork local pension committee until the 18th ultimo. They are now in course of examination, and payment will be made as soon as certain necessary inquiries have been completed. The fees for general incidental expenses cannot be paid pending the receipt from the county committee of certain resolutions rendered necessary by the Census of 1911, and the clerk has been informed of the necessity of obtaining these resolutions and communicating them to the Board of Customs and Excise.