§ Mr. ARTHUR LYNCHasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can state the reasons that have led the Local Government Board to disallow the application for an old age pension of Michael M'Mahon, of Coore, West Clare, registered 2623 in the register of the pension officer of Kilrush?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board upheld the appeal of the pension officer in this case, as they considered that the claimant's means as calculated for the purposes of the Act exceeded the statutory limit.
§ Mr. CREANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that David White, Kilmichael, Crosshaven, county Cork, has been deprived of his old age pension on the ground that, according to the Census of 1841, he is under 70 years of age; whether he is aware that his brother, Thomas White, who is over 76 years of age, can prove that David White is less 271W than two years his junior, and that several of the oldest and most respectable residents of the district have also given evidence to this effect; and, as it has been proved in numerous instances that the Census of 1841 cannot be solely relied on as proof of age in Ireland, will the case of David White be reconsidered?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board upheld the appeal of the pension officer in this case, as they were not satisfied that David White had reached the statutory age. They received no evidence of any kind showing that he was less than two years younger than his brother Thomas. The latter, however, is alleged to have stated that he was prepared to make an affidavit that David "was only about four years younger than he." According to the Census Return of 1851 Thomas was then 14 years old, and David nine, with a sister aged 12 intervening. The Board's decision in this case had no regard to the Census of 1841, and it is not open to them to reconsider it.