§ 4. Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether Nicholas Gaffney, of Crowenstown, Delvin, Westmeath, who applied for an old age pension some time ago and was found not to be seventy until November, 1914, will now be given a pension without further application?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNicholas Gaffney's case has not been referred to the Local Government Board for decision, and therefore they have no information in regard to his age. If this man has been refused a pension, he cannot legally be granted one without making another application.
§ 6. Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary on what evidence the Local Government Board for Ireland disallowed the old age pension granted by the Coole pension sub-committee to Michael Martin, of Streete, Westmeath; and, if only the opinion of the pension officer, will he say on what ground that opinion is held to 1322 displace the unanimous opinion of the subcommittee, the evidence of Michael M'Govern, aged eighty-three, the evidence of Charles Shannon, aged seventy-two and receiving an old age pension, that Martin is older than himself, and the opinion of Mr. J. Granville Wilson, J.P., landlord, of Streete, before whom Shannon made a statutory declaration?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe evidence of age submitted in connection with Michael Martin's application for an old age pension was not sufficient to justify the Local Government Board in holding that he had attained the age of seventy. He could produce no baptismal or other documentary evidence of age; and expressions of opinion not based on sufficient means of knowledge or other definite evidence are insufficient to prove that a claimant has reached the statutory age for pension purposes.
§ Mr. GINNELLMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman the question on the Paper: what evidence the pension officer gave to displace the evidence of the man aged eighty-three, and the others, and endorsed by the magistrate of the village?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe onus is upon the applicant, and the pension officer was not satisfied that these gentlemen had the means of knowing.
§ Mr. GINNELLA man eighty-three years of age?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThat does not matter; it depends how long he knew the pensioner. He may be eighty-three years of age, but he may only have known the man of whom he was speaking five years.
§ 34. Mr. JOWETTasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that Christmas Day falls on a Friday this year and the following day being a Bank holiday will be an inconvenient day on which to pay old age pensions, he will arrange with the Postmaster-General for old age pensions to be paid on Thursday in Christmas week of this year, to prevent the old people concerned being left without their pensions until Monday in the following week?
§ Mr. MONTAGUOld age pensions are normally paid in advance on the first day of the week (Friday to Thursday) for which they are due. In ordinary cases, therefore, it cannot be regarded as a hardship if when the Friday is not a 1323 business day the payment is postponed until the Saturday. As, however, in the present case the postponement would be until the following Monday, it has been decided to give directions for payment on Thursday, 24th December.