§ Mr. PATRICK O'BRIENasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can account for the delay which has occurred in paying off the claims of clerk to the pension committees in Kilkenny and other counties for the amounts due to them for their services under the Old Age Pensions Act for the quarter ender 31st December last; and whether he will see his way to having more promptitude shown in discharging these debts to those who have not as yet been paid for their services under the Act?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEIn order to check these accounts it is necessary for the Treasury to obtain through the pension officers the numbers of claims and ques-1388W ions dealt with in each committee's area. The extreme pressure on the pension officers made it impossible to furnish these figures before the end of January, but in future quarters they will be sent in more promptly. I may add that it is open to any clerk of a pension committee to obtain an advance pnder paragraph 9 of the Treasury Financial Instructions.