§ Mr. JOHN O'CONNORasked whether assistants of Excise of two years' standing may now deal with pension claims in Ireland; are any officers of experience in the valuation of land appointed to such duties; if not, will the Board of Excise be instructed to appoint some such to investigate all claims in respect to small holdings in Ireland and the claims of those who, believing that they have been unjustly treated, raise questions under the Old Age Pensions Act in order to have their pensions increased?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEAssistants of Excise of not less than two years standing are permitted to officiate for absent pension officers. These as the pension officers, have the advice and assistance of a superior officer at their approval. It is 655W not considered necessary to appoint officers experienced in the valuation of land to act as pension officers, as the decision on claims from small holders rests not with the pension officer, but with the pension committees, who by their local knowledge are well qualified to decide on these points, and any claimant who considers that he is unjustly treated has a legal remedy by way of an appeal to the Local Government Board.
§ Mr. BOLANDasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the different methods of valuation in connection with old age pension claims used by pension officers; and whether, in view of the representations made on the subject by the Caherdaniel sub-Committee, he will procure the necessary information for them?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSE:I am making inquiry into this case.
§ Mr. GINNELLasked the rule and practice under which old age pensions granted by local pension committees in Ireland are successfully resisted by the pension officer and refused by the Local Government Board on the point of age when the name of the applicant cannot be traced in the Census Returns and when the Census Returns have not been searched?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSE:The effect of an appeal under Section 7 (1) (c) of the Old Age Pensions Act by the pension officer or by any person aggrieved is under the provisions of that sub-section to render inoperative any decision which has been arrived at upon the claim by a local pension committee, and to require that the claim to be considered de novo by the Central Pension Authority and determined by that authority. In deciding whether the statutory condition as to age is fulfilled in the case of any claimant the Local Government Board as the Central Pension Authority must have regard to such evidence as may be before them, including the report of the pension officer upon his investigation of the claim. The rules laid down for the guidance of the pension officer in the matter are contained in the Second Schedule of the Old Age Pensions Regulation, 1908. The Census Returns are searched, provided that the necessary particulars for search are obtainable, in all cases where satisfactory documentary evidence of the age of a claimant for a pension is not forthcoming from other quarters.