§ Mr. LYNCHasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can state the grounds on which an old age pension was refused to Michael Hynes, of Bownslieve, near Inagh, West Clare (registered number of claim, 1,830)?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI understand that Michael Hynes' claim to an old age pension was disallowed on the ground that he has not attained the statutory age.
§ Mr. DORISasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the pension officers at Westport have recently withdrawn pension books from the following old age pensioners: Martin M'Ginty, Patrick Glynn, Mary M'Manmon, Anne Gibbons, Margaret Flynn, and Patrick Walsh, paying patients in Westport union infirmary, and Mary Newman, paying patient in Westport union hospital; upon what grounds the pensions granted to those people have been discontinued; and whether, having regard to the fact that no portion of the cost of their maintenance was chargeable to the poor rates, he will take steps to have their pensions immediately restored?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI have made inquiries and find that on the 2nd instant, as the result of questions raised by the pension officer, each of the seven persons named was decided by the local pension committee to be disqualified for an old age pension on the ground of receiving poor relief. I have no authority to intervene in the matter, or to restore the pensions. I may say, however, that the hon. Member appears to be misinformed as to the facts. None of the persons named were at the time of disqualification in the union infirmary or hospital. Patrick Walsh was in the infirm ward of the workhouse, out was not receiving medical or surgical treatment there, while the others were in the body of the workhouse.
§ Mr. LYNCHasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, in the case of Patrick O'Connor, of Moheroon, Carron, Kilnaboy, district Ennis, station Ennistymon, number in pension officer's register Lva 484, an old age pension was refused on the ground that the applicant possessed sufficient means, whereas, although he possessed previous to the marriage of his daughter, the place of three cows, he is 178W now entirely without means of subsistence of his own; and, if so, what action he proposes to take in the matter?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board in December, 1909, upheld the appeal of the pension officer in this case, as it appeared that Patrick O'Connor was the tenant of sixteen acres and a-half of good land, in respect of which no formal assignment had been made.
§ Mr. LYNCHasked the Chief Secretary whether he can state why, in reference to old age pensions, means are estimated in Ireland according to standards that would be considered unacceptable in England; and whether instructions will be issued to pension officers to relax their rigour in this respect?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board have no knowledge of the standards by which means are estimated in England, but the circumstances of the two countries are entirely different. The pension officers are not under the Board's control.
§ Mr. LYNCHasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that, in the case of Daniel Doohan, of Deconrade, Lissycasey, West Clare, although the pension committee allowed him 4s., the pension officer objected on the grounds of sufficient means; whether he is aware that Daniel Doohan, who is seventy-six years of age and who has five young children, is very poor, his holding of seventy acres being on a bleak hill side and assessed thus: judicial rent, £12 12s.; Government valuation, £12 13s.; interest in lieu of rent, £10 12s.; that all the stock on the holding belonging to himself consists of four old cows; and whether, after weighing all these conditions, he will direct that effect shall be given to the recommendation of the pension committee?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe decision of the Local Government Board on this case was given over two years ago, on 1st January, 1909. When the case was before them, Patrick Doohan possessed five cows, four yearlings, four sheep, and three pigs; and the Board upheld the pension officer's appeal on the ground that Doohan's means exceeded the statutory limit. It is not in the Board's power to reopen the matter now.
§ Mr. LUNDONasked the Chief Secretary if his attention had been called to the Report of the Auditor-General in his report on the National Accounts for 1909–10, in 179W which he quotes two specific cases where holders of farms had divested themselves of their tenancies in order to qualify for an old age pension; in one case, where a woman held a farm of forty acres, which she worked with her son and daughter, she applied for a pension, but was refused on the ground of income; she then transferred the holding to her son, and made a fresh application, and was granted a pension of 5s. per week, as her principal source of income was fixed at the value of her board and lodging in the farm; the second case being of a man who was joint owner in 100 acres of land and applied for a pension in 1908, but was refused on the grounds of income; he then transferred the interest in the farm to his brother and renewed his application of a pension, with the result that he has been getting 5s. per week since the 5th August, 1910, his source of income having been determined the same as in the previous case, at the value of his board and lodging on the farm; have not the English Local Government Board passed all such claims; and, in view of the methods adopted by the Irish Local Government Board in depriving people of pensions who live with their children in farms of fifteen and sixteen acres, will some steps be taken to have the same treatment meted out to applicants in Ireland as to those in this country?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI have seen the Report of the Controller and Auditor-General referred to by the hon. Member, and have nothing to add to my reply to his question of the 16th instant. The two cases referred to in the question seem to have been cited by the Comptroller and Auditor-General for the purpose of expressing both disapproval and doubt.
§ Mr. HACKETTasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that John Dwyer, Gurtacoola, Drumbane, county Tipperary, was granted an old age pension by the Thurles sub-pension committee last July, and that the decision of the sub-committee was appealed to the Local Government Board by the pension officer; whether he can state the decision of the Local Government Board; whether, in the event of no decision, he will explain the cause of the delay; and whether, in case the Local Government Board decide in favour of John Dwyer's application, he will be allowed the pension from the date of his application?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board gave a decision on 28th October last180W upholding the pension officer's appeal on the ground that there was no satisfactory evidence of John Dwyer having reached the statutory age.