§ Mr. JOHN PHILLIPSasked why Mrs. Casey, Clonard, Ballymahon, Ireland, an old age pensioner, was deprived of her pension, her number on the pension committee's list being 534 and in receipt of 5s., made final by the Local Government Board; but on the coming of another pension officer to the district, who appealed, this old person was deprived of the pension, though she is far over seventy years; and will he see that this old woman has her pension restored to her?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe hon. Member is under a misapprehension in supposing that the Local Government Board confirmed this woman's pension. They allowed the pension officer's appeal as she was recorded in the Census Returns of 1851 as being only ten years old, and on her making a second claim they disallowed it on appeal for the same reason.
§ Mr. KELLYasked the Chief Secretary whether he can state, with reference to the statement by the Local Government Board that they have not deprived Mrs. 1201W Alice Kelly, of Meenahinnish, Killygordon, county Donegal, of her pension, on whose authority Mrs. Kelly was served with a notice dated 25th February last, stating that the Local Government Board had decided to withdraw her pension; and whether he can also explain on what grounds it has been decided that Alice Kelly is under seventy years of age, and therefore disqualified for a pension, whilst her sister, who is two years younger, is held to be over seventy years of age and qualified for a pension?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI understand that in the appeal lodged in this case the pensioner's name was incorrectly given as Anne Kelly, not Alice Kelly. Being registered under that name, the case was not identified with that mentioned in the question asked by the hon. Member on the 4th instant. The Board upheld the appeal, as Mrs. Kelly did not appear among her parents' family in the Census Returns of 1841. They received no reply from her to their request for additional proof of age, and had no information regarding the sister mentioned.