13. Colonel NEWMANasked the Minister of Pensions whether he is satisfied that officials, male or female, employed by his Ministry in the Irish Free State and paid for by the British taxpayer are ex-service men or the wives or daughters of ex-service men; by whom are the appointments made; and what is the total estimated cost of the payment and administration of pensions in the Irish Free Sate for the present financial year?
§ Major TRYONThe staff directly employed by the Ministry as temporary officials and clerks in the Irish Free State comprises 389 ex-service men, 3 non-service men, and 25 women. The women were transferred from local committees, and have been reduced from 49 to 25 since the 1st February last; further reductions in this number are being made. The estimated cost of payments made in the Irish Free State in respect of the administration of pensions is £144,000 for 1923–24.
§ Major TRYONI cannot say without notice.
19. Colonel NEWMANasked the Minister of Pensions how many local war pensions committees are in existence in the Irish Free State; is there any one official directly responsible to him for the work of these committees and the administration of war pensions generally, having regard to the fact that the Free State is outside the control of Imperial Parliament, and makes no contribution to the cost of war services or of the war debt?
§ Major TRYONExcluding the counties of Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan, which are included in the area of the North Ireland War Pensions Committee, there are in the Irish Free State 20 local war pensions committees and one war pensions committee. The Regional Director, Ulster, is responsible for the work of the Committee and the administration of war pensions so far as regards the counties of Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan, and the Regional Director, South Ireland, for the work of the committees and administration of war pensions for the remaining counties in the Irish Free State.
Colonel NEWMANIs the right hon. Gentleman satisfied that there is real control over pensions in the Irish Free State?
§ Major TRYONThe position is one of considerable difficulty which vie are doing our best to deal with satisfactorily.
§ Mr. MACPHERSONIs it not a fact that the Ministry of Pensions take especial care to keep under their own control ex-service men in Ireland.
§ Major TRYONThat is so. We consider it our duty to do what we can for these ex-service men in the South of Ireland.