§ Mr. LARDNERasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he is aware that Patrick Reilly, of Drumulla, Rockcorry, county Monaghan, was granted a pension of 5s. per week by the local old age pension committee, and that the pension officer appealed against this decision to the Local Government Board, who allowed his appeal; will he now state the grounds on which the Local Government Board arrived at this decision; will he state if Patrick Reilly some time back lodged a fresh application for a pension, which so far has not been considered or dealt with; and can he now state when it will be considered, and what is the cause of the delay?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYThe Local Government Board gave their decision in this case in March, 1909, upholding the pension officer's appeal, as the wife of the claimant had been in receipt of non-medical indoor relief after 1st January, 1908. The second claim referred to in the question has not come before the Local Government Board on appeal, and I have therefore no information with regard to it.
§ Mr. FRANCIS MEEHANasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Lizzie Murphy, of Corrick, Keshcarrigan, 389W county Leitrim, was in receipt of an old age pension from the Drumshambo Committee, and that on appeal by the pension officer her claim was confirmed by the Local Government Board and her pension continued, but that again she was deprived of her pension without any explanation; and whether he will state upon what grounds her book has been lifted the second time?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYThe hon. Member is under a misapprehension in supposing that the Local Government Board confirmed Mrs. Murphy's claim. On the contrary, the Board upheld the appeal of the pension officer on the ground that the applicant had not reached the statutory age. The case has only been before the Board on one occasion.
§ Mr. CHARLES CRAIGasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Sarah Foster, of Teehogues, Randalstown, has been deprived of her old age pension on the ground that, having been baptised in 1841, she had not attained the qualifying age; whether several reputable witnesses have testified that she was not baptised until she was five or six years old, and was in fact at school; and whether, in view of these circumstances, he will see that the pension is restored to her?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYNo appeal has been lodged with the Local Government Board in this case, and my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary is not therefore in a position to give any information with regard to it.
§ Mr. LUNDONasked the Chief Secretary if he will give the total number of persons disqualified from receiving old age pensions in county Limerick during the year 1909 and from 1st January, 1910, to 31st March, 1910, respectively; how many of these cases wore disqualified by the local committee and how many on appeal to the Local Government Board; and whether any cases have been reconsidered?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a similar question asked yesterday by the hon. Member for North Longford.