§ Mr. HUGH LAWasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Local Government Board, when deciding appeals under the Old Age Pensions Act, rely, in respect of questions of age of applicant, upon the Census Returns of 1841 and 1851; whether they treat 1688W these Returns as generally reliable, having regard to the circumstances under which they were made; and, in case of conflict between such Returns and local testimony, what opportunity is given to the applicant to rebut the prima facie evidence of the Returns when adverse to the claim?
§ Mr. CHERRYIn the absence of a baptismal certificate or other conclusive evidence, the Local Government Board accept the Census Returns as proof of age. These Returns are generally treated as reliable, and it must be borne in mind that they have furnished the only proof of age which has enabled the great bulk of pensioners to establish their rights to pensions. In the event of a conflict between these Returns and other evidence of age, a claimant is given an opportunity of rebutting theprimâ facie evidence of the Returns when adverse to his claim.