§ 4. Mr. FFRENCHasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Patrick Kehoe, John Street, Wexford, applied for an old age pension on the 20th May last; whether the committee granted him 5s. per week; whether the officer reduced it to 1s. per week, and his decision was upheld by the Local Government Board; and whether, seeing that this man was seventy years of age last February, is destitute, and unable to work, he will see that the full pension is given to him?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis man was allowed a pension of a shilling a week on the ground that his earnings for the preceding twelve months amounted to £29 12s. This calculation was made under Section 2 (b) of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1911, as there was no means of ascertaining definitely what his means would be for the ensuing year. At the time the decision was given he was actually working, and in receipt of twelve shillings a week wages.