§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state in how many of the applications for old age pensions approved by local pensions committees and refused by the Local Government Board for Ireland was the absence of the applicant's name from the Census Returns a reason for the refusal; and in how many cases, if any, was the pension allowed notwithstanding that absence?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board are not in a position to supply the information asked for by the hon. Member.
§ Mr. O'DOHERTYasked the Chief Secretary whether, in view of the fact that the Census Returns of 1841 and 1851 are in- 1069W complete and inaccurate and therefore unreliable, he will direct that sworn testimony be accepted to prove the ages of applicants for old age pensions, particularly in respect to those applicants who are deprived of pensions in consequence of their names not appearing in Census Returns?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board do not admit that the Census Returns are as a rule unreliable. On the contrary, they have been accepted in support of the great majority of claims. Whilst prepared to consider all evidence on behalf of claimants, the Board cannot bind themselves to accept the opinions of other persons as sufficient merely because they are testified on oath. The hon. Member is under a misapprehension in supposing that persons are deprived of their pensions if their names do not appear in the Census Returns. If they are in receipt of pensions and the Census Returns show that they have not attained the age of seventy years, they are deprived of the pensions, but if no such evidence can be found against them in the Census, they are not deprived of pensions by the Board without further evidence.