§ Mr. O'DONNELLasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he has seen the further request of the Ardfert old age pension committee for an inquiry into the methods practised by the pension officers in assessing the means of applicants for pensions; and whether, seeing the dissatisfaction that prevails and the belief existing in the public mind that no accurate or reliable estimates are really made, he will grant an inquiry into this matter?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI have already informed the hon. Member, on the 29th of last month, that there does not appear to me to be any necessity for an inquiry of the kind suggested in reference to the action of the pension officers concerned in500W the cases which led to the resignation of the Ardfert pension sub-committee. I have received no further information as to any further request made by this committee, and I can therefore add nothing to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member's previous question.
§ Mr. THOMAS F. SMYTHasked the Chief Secretary why Mrs. Catherine Farrell, (No. 825) Dremard, Dromod, county Leitrim, in the Mohill sub-pension committee, has been refused an old age pension although it was granted to her by the pension committee on four different occasions, the last being 11th September, 1912; and, as no record of her age appears in either the Census of 1841 or 1851, although it is believed she is beyond the statutory age, whether she will get the pension which has been granted to her on so many occasions by the pension committee?
§ Mr. B1RRELLCatherine Farrell's claim for a pension was disallowed by the Local Government Board on appeal as the Board were not satisfied that she was seventy years of age. Her name did not appear in the record of her parents' family in the 1841 Census, and there was no trace of her family in the 1851 Census, and as she was unable to furnish any evidence of her age, the Board had no option but to disallow her claim.
§ Mr. THOMAS F. SMYTHasked the Chief Secretary why an old age pension has been refused to Thomas Gilblane (No. 2673), senior, Mealwood, Drumsna, county Leitrim, in the Carrick-on-Shannon pension district, and as he assigned his farm of land in April, 1911, to his son Thomas Gilbane, junior, who was married in January, 1910; and whether this man will get the pension which was granted to him by the pension committee, as his son now owns almost the entire farm and live stock?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThomas Gilbane's claim for a pension was disallowed by the Local Government Board on appeal on the ground that his means exceeded the statutory limit. He was the occupier of a good and well-stocked farm of thirty-seven acres which he assigned in April, 1911, to his son, who had been married in January, 1910, and accordingly, under the provisions of Section 4 (3) of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1908, he was regarded as being still the owner for the purpose of computing his means. It is not open to the Board to reconsider their decision in the matter.
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§ Mr. SCANLANasked the Chief Secretary on what evidence the Local Government Board proceeded in disallowing the old age pension unanimously granted by the Skreen, county Sligo, sub-committee to Mrs. Margaret O'Gara, of Carrowanabull, Dromard, county Sligo; and whether he and the Board know that the local committee who saw this claimant and heard the evidence were fully convinced that she had reached the qualifying age?
§ Mr. BIRRELLMargaret O'Gara's claim for a pension was disallowed as she was unable to furnish any evidence that she had reached the statutory age. It is presumed that the Skreen pensions subcommittee considered that she was seventy years of age, as they allowed her claim, but the pension officer was not satisfied, and accordingly appealed to the Local Government Board. The onus of furnishing proof rests upon the claimant, and as none was forthcoming the Board had no option but to disallow the claim.
§ Mr. SCANLANasked the Chief Secretary what evidence the Local Government Board had before them when deciding the appeal of the pension officer against the decision of the Skreen, county Sligo, subcommittee awarding an old age pension at the rate of 5s. per week to Mrs. Mary Hart, of Farnaharpy, Skreen, county Sligo; whether he is aware of the fact that the local committee gave special consideration to this case, and decided unanimously that the applicant was qualified as to age and means; and whether he will instruct an inspector to visit Mrs. Hart and other claimants in this district, who maintain that they have been improperly deprived of their pensions at the instance of the local pension officer?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on the 6th instant. It is not open to the Local Government Board to reconsider cases already decided by them.
§ Mr. THOMAS F. SMYTHasked the Chief Secretary why Patrick Crossan and his wife, Bridget Crossan, of Tully, Carrigallen, county Leitrim, in the Mohill sub-pension district, have been deprived of their old age pensions, which they got from the commencement of the Act; why those people, along with several others in the district, were disallowed their pensions at the instance of the pension officer, 502W a Mr. Jones, who was only a short time in the locality and knew nothing whatever of the people's circumstances; whether the Local Government Board received a copy of a valuation made by a competent valuer as regards Crossan's income, which amounted to £18 18s.; and if the pensions will be restored to those people?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe pensions of Patrick Crossan and his wife were discontinued on the grounds that their means exceeded the statutory limit. A statement showing the means of the pensioners as derived from their farm to be worth ony £18 6s. 8d. a year was furnished to the Local Government Board by a Mr. Kavanagh, of whose qualifications as a valuer the Board have no knowledge, but his estimate appears to be exceedingly low in view of the fact that the farm comprises thirty acres of land, eight of which are in tillage, and which carries twelve head of cattle, in addition to sheep, pigs, and fowl. In these circumstances, there are no grounds for restoring the pensions to these people even if it were possible for the Board to do so.