§ Mr. LYNCHasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether ho can state the reason why an old age pension was not granted in the case of John O'Sullivan, of Grey-grove, West Clare?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI understand that O'Sullivan's claim was disallowed by the Local Government Board because he had not resided in the United Kingdom during the whole of the last twenty years.
§ Mr. BOOTHasked the Secretary to the Treasury if an old age pension has been refused to Mrs. Glendenning, of 13, Hill Top, Knottingley, who is seventy-two years of age; and, if so, will he state upon what grounds?
§ Mr. BURNSMy right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. The Local Government Board received an appeal in this case, and decided that the claimant was not entitled to receive an old age pension on the ground that she had not satisfied the pension authorities that for the preceding twenty years she had had her residence, as defined by regulations under the Old Age Pensions Act, in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. FFRENCHasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that an old woman named Mary Corish, who is an applicant for an old age pension, can produce no proof that she has reached the statutory age, only she has a vivid recollection that all the particulars with reference to her age were entered in the 1891 Census by her late master, who was quite familiar with them; whether at the request of the Wexford Pensions Committee, she endeavoured to procure a copy of this entry, and applied to the Registrar-General, enclosing the usual fee of 2s., and was refused all information, owing it was stated to the fact that the Census returns of 1891 were confidential documents; and whether, owing to the fact that this woman cannot otherwise become eligible for an old age pension, he will request the Registrar-General to allow a search to be made?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Registrar-General informs me that the Census Returns of 1891 are confidential documents, and it is not, therefore, possible to have an inspection of them made for the purpose indicated?
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§ Mr. LUNDONasked the Chief Secretary whether the claim of Mrs. Margaret Burke, Dullas, Croom, county Limerick, for a pension is still in consideration by the Local Government Board; did the latter body on 26th February last receive by registered letter the marriage article between the applicant and her son-in-law, according to which she was entitled to her support in the house, or, in lieu thereof, a sum of £10 per year; and, in view of the agreement stated, will he explain why this woman is deprived of a pension, and will steps be taken to uphold the decision of the local pension committee and thus enable the applicant to get the pension?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe marriage agreement referred to was seen by the Local Government Board, but, having regard to the size of the farm on which Mrs. Burke is maintained, they considered that the value of the privileges she enjoys exceeds £31 10s. a year. Accordingly on the 5th April the Board on Mrs. Burke's appeal upheld the decision of the local pension sub-committee rejecting her claim.
§ Mr. LUNDONasked whether the Local Government Board have yet decided the appeal in the case of Patrick O'Brien, an inmate of the Croom workhouse, Croom, county Limerick, who is an applicant for an old age pension; and, having regard to the fact that his age cannot be found in the Census of 1841 or 1851, and that his age was recorded in the union books in 1907 as being sixty-seven, will the pension be allowed?
§ Mr. BIRRELLOn 23rd March the Local Government Board gave a decision upholding the pension officer's appeal, on the ground that there was no satisfactory evidence of Patrick O'Brien having reached the statutory age. The statements of age in workhouse books are untrustworthy as evidence, and O'Brien's name did not appear in his parents' family, which was traced in the Census Return of 1841, the presumption therefore being that he was then unborn.
§ Mr. SHEEHANasked the Chief Secretary whether he has received a resolution from the Macroom Board of Guardians and District Council, protesting against the fact that persons in the district who are entitled to old age pensions are deprived of them because they are unable to find any return of their ages in the parish register or in the Census Returns of 1841 or 1851; whether they also draw attention 571W to the fact that small farmers who have made over their farms and general belongings to their sons on marriage, having reserved merely a small annuity for themselves, are debarred from the benefits of the pension scheme; and what answer will he make to the request of the Macroom Board that further instructions should be issued to the pension officers regarding these people, so that the pensions to which they are justly entitled should be secured to them?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI have received a copy of the resolution referred to. Pension officers are not under my control, and I cannot therefore give them any instructions.
§ Mr. DANIEL BOYLEasked the Chief Secretary why the claim for an old age pension made by James Tighe, Tallagh, Binghamstown, county Mayo, has been disallowed by the Local Government Board; and, seeing that no trace of this man can be found in the Census returns for 1841 or 1851, and as other documentary proof cannot be found, will he explain why the evidence offered by local people of position who have known Tighe all their lives, and are prepared to declare their belief that he has passed his seventieth year, is not accepted by the Local Government Board?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board upheld the pension officer's appeal on the ground that there was no satisfactory evidence of James Tighe having reached the statutory age. His parents' family was traced in the Census return of 1841, but his name did not appear therein. The statements of local people referred to in the question were too indefinite in character to be of value as evidence.
§ Mr. DANIEL BOYLEasked the Chief Secretary why the claim for an old age pension made by Mrs. Mary Holmes, Main Street, Belmullet, county Mayo, has been disallowed by the Local Government Board; and, if on the question of means, will he state how the calculation as to her means has been made?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board upheld the appeal of the pension officer on the ground that half the means of claimant's husband exceeded the statutory limit of £31 10s. a year. Mrs. Holmes and her husband appear to be in fairly good circumstances, although they allege that all the property belongs to their children. There are two holdings of land,572W well stocked, which were stated to belong to a son of the same name as the claimant's husband. Two daughters have money to the amount of £228 13s. 10d. in the Post Office Savings Bank, and there is a shop held in the name of claimant's husband which Mrs. Holmes stated in January last belonged to a daughter, but which was apparently not transferred to her until March.
§ Mr. DANIEL BOYLEasked the Chief Secretary why the claim for an old age pension made by Mrs. Bridget Connor, Ardmore, Binghamstown, county Mayo, has been disallowed by the Local Government Board; and, seeing that the baptismal certificate of the eldest son of Mrs. Connor's marriage was produced in support of the claim, showing him to be now in his fifty-fourth year, will he give directions for Mrs. Connor to receive a pension?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board upheld the appeal of the pension officer on the ground that there was no satisfactory proof of Bridget Connor having reached the statutory age. The baptismal certificate of Patrick, stated to be Mrs. Connor's eldest son, was not submitted, and the parish priest informed the Board that it is was unobtainable; but a certificate of the baptism in 1861 of a son named James, stated to be the second child, was produced. There was, however, no conclusive evidence that James was the second child. Mrs. Connor's age was recorded in the Census Return of 1851 as seven years, from which she would appear to be now about sixty-seven years old.
§ Mr. ELLIS DAVIESasked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the fact that on 3rd January last the Carnarvon pension committee allowed the claim of Elinor Williams, 5, Moriah Square, Carnarvon, and that the pension has not yet been paid, although full information as to the applicant's age has been supplied by an alderman of the county council; and what action does he propose to take in the matter?
§ Mr. BURNSIn connection with the appeal which has been made in this case, I have now obtained from the Registrar-General a copy of the entry in the register of births, which shows that the claimant was born on the 25th December, 1841. She has not, therefore, attained the age of seventy, and I have accordingly no alternative but to disallow the claim.