§ 80. Mr. BOLANDasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that when the appeal was made by the pension officer in the case of the old age pension claimed by Jeremiah Shea, Ross-more Island, Tahilla, before the Sneem sub-committee, the means given by the pension officer and presented to the committee were £35 11s., less £10 for labour, i.e., £25 11s., and that the pensioner was entitled, according to the pension officer, to 3s. weekly; can he state why the Local Government Board refused to grant the 3s. recommended by the pension officer and sub-committee; who made the investigation which brought the means up to exceed £31 10s. in so short a time; whether, if the sub-committee followed the recommendation of the pension officer and allowed 3s., this fisherman would now be drawing 3s. weekly; and whether he will have full investigation made into the facts of the case?
§ Mr. RUSSELLJeremiah Shea's claim for pension was originally disallowed by the Local Government Board on appeal in January, 1911, on the ground that his means exceeded the statutory limit. In November of the same year he was allowed a pension of 3s. a week owing to the operation of Section 2 (2) of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1911, his wife being then alive. On his wife's death the question was raised, and it was determined that he was 1048 no longer entitled to a pension, as the Section above referred to had then ceased to apply.