Captain CRAIGasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if John O'Reilly, on whom an inquest was recently held in Belfast, was in receipt of an old age pension; if his brother at the inquest swore that the deceased was only 49 years of age; if this man obtained his pension through Mr. O'Hillary, the pension clerk for Smith-field, Belfast; and if the Government will inquire into the matter?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe person referred to in the question was not in receipt of an Old Age Pension.
§ Mr. VINCENT KENNEDYasked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state how many old age pensioners have been deprived of their pensions since 31st March last in county Cavan, and how many pensions are paid in Cavan under the Old Age Pensions Act?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe number of old age pensioners deprived of their pensions 177W since 31st March last in County Cavan is 189. The number of pensions now paid in Cavan is 6,138.
§ Mr. CREANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether pension officers are instructed, in cases where claimants for old age pensions have given up possession of their farm to their child on the occasion of the marriage of the latter, to treat all such cases in the same manner as if the land still belonged to them; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take with regard to the treatment of such assignments in view of Section 4 (3) of the Old Age Pensions Act?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSENo such instructions as those referred to have been issued. The question whether such assignments fall to be dealt with under the provisions of Section 4 (3) of the Old Age Pensions Act is one to be decided by the local Pension Committee subject to appeal to the Local Government Board.
§ Mr. CREANasked the Chief Secretary whether the Local Government Board, when refusing the claim of penion applicant No. 1,147 on pension officer's register, in the district of Bandon and station of Clonakilty, had before them the indenture dated 19th day of July, 1909, by which the applicant, in consideration of an annuity of £5 a year and a free house, assigned her farm to her son on the occasion of the latter's marriage; and by what method of calculation it was determined that the claimant was not entitled to any pension?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The claimant had a farm of 50 acres, with 14 cows and other stock, including two horses, the whole of which she assigned to her son for £5 a year. The pension officer appealed on the ground that claimant had deprived herself of property which, if retained, would have rendered her ineligible for the receipt of an old age pension, and the Local Government allowed the appeal.