§ 10. Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the old age pension inspector found that James and Anne Reilly, of Fermore, Streete, Westmeath, are both over 70 years of age, the man being for years crippled and unable to work the farm nominally his, but worked and stocked by his son; whether the assignment of the farm to the son was anything more than legal completion, in view of the son's marriage, of a fact long previously accomplished; whether it is the usual practice in such circumstances to value the son's stock and ascribe them to the parents in order to prevent old age pensions; whether the Coole pension committee, cognisant of all the facts, have repeatedly voted old age pensions to those two old persons; and, the ownership of means being the only question at issue, whether, on the local committee repeating its vote, the Local Government Board will have that question decided by the County Court judge or an impartial valuer before ruling on the pensions?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on the 22nd July last. As 1286 regards the concluding portion of the question, the Local Government Board are the authority constituted by Parliament as the final court of appeal in old age pension cases, and they have no power to delegate their duties to any other body.
§ Mr. GINNELLHas not the right hon. Gentleman ascertained in the course of the inquiries he has made that the son of these people has worked the farm for many years, and that they are incapable of working it? Are they not entitled to the pension?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIt was a case where the owner of the farm transferred it to his children. Had he retained it he would not have been entitled to the pension.