§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he was aware that Mrs. Ellen Scanlan, of Upper Athea, county Limerick, who has been in receipt of an old age pension since 23rd December, 1910, had been entitled to it from 31st July, 1909, as her birth certificate is dated 24th July, 1839; and whether, as she did not seek the pension between July, 1909, and December, 1910, owing to family trouble, she would now get what she was legally entitled to between the dates above-mentioned?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe facts as regards Mrs. Scanlan's age are correctly stated in the question. She did not, however, become legally entitled to the old age pension until the first Friday after her claim was allowed—i.e., the 16th December, 1910, and no payment can be made to her for the period between that date and July, 1909.
§ Mr. LYNCHasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that the Census of 1851 shows that on 30th March, 1851, Simon Behan, station Kilkee, district Ennis, number in Post Office Register 3851, was certified as ten years of age on last birthday, he can explain why the payment of the old age pension granted to Simon Behan will take effect only on 6th June of this year?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEIt is true that in the Census of 1851 (taken on 31st March, 1851) Behan was recorded as ten years old; but on the other hand his name was not found with those of his parents in the Census of1552W 1841, the inference being that he was not born when the Census was taken on 6th June, 1841. The grant of pension to take effect from the first Friday after 6th June, 1911, was the most liberal course consistent with the evidence of the 1841 Census. Behan does not appear to have exercised his right of appeal to the Local Government Board against the Local Committee's, decision.
§ Mr. SCANLANasked on what grounds an old age pension is being withheld from Thomas Kilmartin, of Carrenree, Dromard, county Sligo; whether he is aware that the Skreen sub-committee, county Sligo, passed this man's claim for a pension on 9th February last; whether the Local Government Board have been informed that the applicant's brother is seventy-six years of age, and that a sister younger than he is over seventy years of age, and in receipt of a pension; and whether the only ground of objection stated against the applicant's claim is that his age is not shown by the Census returns of 1841?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Skreen pension subcommittee stopped Kilmartin's pension on 9th September, 1909, but on 9th February last, as stated, allowed a further claim which he made. Against this decision the pension officer appealed. Kilmartin stated that he came between a brother Michael aged seventy-six years, and a sister Bridget, who, if still living, would be seventy-two years old, but no evidence was submitted to the Board in support of this assertion; whilst the fact that his name did not appear along with their names in the record of his parents' family in the Census Return of 1841 tends to show that he was born after the date of the Census and was younger than his sister Bridget. The Local Government Board upheld the pension officer's appeal on the ground that Kilmartin had failed to prove that he had reached the statutory age.
§ Mr. SCANLANasked on what grounds the Local Government Board have refused to sanction the pension awarded by the Sligo (No. 2) sub-pension committee to James Conway, of Kilmacowen and Knocknahur, Sligo; whether, in regard to-the applicant's age, the Sligo (No. 2) sub-pension committee were unanimously of the opinion that the applicant was over seventy years of age; and on what facts or evidence did the Local Government Board decide that the applicant was not qualified as to age?
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§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board are no longer in possession of the documents in this case, and are unable to state whether the pension sub-committee passed the claim unanimously. In accordance with their usual practice the Board requested James Conway to furnish them with any evidence he could obtain to show that he had reached the age of seventy years; but he made no reply, and the Board upheld the appeal of the pension officer on the ground that Conway had failed to show that he had reached the statutory age.
§ Mr. JOYCEasked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been called to the case of Mary Hehir, a claimant for an old age pension in the Dock Ward Division of Limerick; whether this woman made a claim in November, 1910, and came before the pensions committee in support of her claim, and that the committee, having fully investigated the case and seeing the applicant for themselves, unanimously granted the pension, but the pension officer refused the claim owing to the want of documentary evidence, and the Local Government Board upheld his decision; and whether, taking all the circumstances of this case into account and the impossibility of this woman being able to get documentary evidence, the Irish Local Government Board will allow a fresh claim to be made, and grant the pension in this case?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board upheld the appeal of the pension officer against the decision of the Limerick Dock Ward pension sub-committee granting Mary Hehir a pension of 5s. a week on the ground that there was no satisfactory evidence of her having reached the statutory age. It is always open to her to make a fresh claim, and the consent of the Local Government Board is not required to her doing so; but, if the claim is to be successful, stronger evidence of her having attained the age of seventy years will be required than that already produced.