§ Mr. JOHN O'DONNELLasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Patrick Ryan, Knocknageeha, Kilmaine, county Mayo, applied for an old age pension, and was granted a sum of 2s. a week by a pension officer named Mr. McEnry; that the local pensions committee met on 24th September, 1908, and increased the allowance to 4s.; that the pension officer appealed against the increase; that no steps were taken by the Local Government Board in the matter for a year; that in December, 1909, a new application was lodged toy this man, who was again granted 2s. a week, and that this grant, which was originally given by the pension officer, was appealed against by his successor; that the case is still pending, and this man has been left for sixteen months without the pension to which he is apparently entitled; and whether, seeing that the applicant is eighty-four years of age, and only living in the house with his married son and his wife, who are the owners of the stock which is on the land, and which was purchased by the fortune obtained at the time of their marriage, which took place six years ago, and at which time the old man assigned his interest to his son, he will take steps to have the case fully gone into and justice done to this man, by allowing him 4s. a week, which the local committee believed him entitled to?
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§ Mr. BIRRELLThe hon. Member has apparently been misinformed with regard to the action of the Local Government Board in this case. It is not the fact that no steps were taken by the Board for a year on the pension officer's appeal as they determined in February, 1909, that Ryan was not entitled to any pension. The second claim also is not still pending, as the Local Government Board gave their decision in February last upholding the pension officer's appeal on the ground that the claimant's means exceeded the statutory limit. The assignment referred to will not take effect until the claimant's death, so that he is still the owner of the holding?