§ Mr. HACKETTasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can state upon what grounds the pension officer at Templemore, county Tipperary, calculated that the means of James Guilfoyle, Lisheen, Templemore, county Tipperary, exceeded the statutory limit, in view of the fact that Guilfoyle assigned to his son, by deed, his interest in his farm in December, 1909, reserving for himself an annuity of £12 per annum?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI am making inquiries into this case, and will communicate further with the hon. Member as soon as they are complete.
§ Mr. HACKETTasked upon what grounds the Local Government Board refused on appeal by the pension officer the claim of Mrs. Mary Ryan, Graystown, Killenaule, Thurles, county Tipperary, to an old age pension?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIn September last the Local Government Board upheld an appeal by the pension officer on the ground that Mrs. Ryan's means exceeded the statutory limit.
§ Mr. VINCENT KENNEDYasked the Chief Secretary if he will state why the Local Government Board have refused to allow an old age pension to be paid to John Dolan, Cappenaghmore, county Cavan; is he aware that the entire 1307W worldly belongings of this man are two cows, value £10, two calves value £3, grass for said cows value £3 per annum, one rood of potatoes value £1, fifteen head of fowl 15s., and eight ducks value 8s.; will he further say if there has been any recent order issued to pension officers of a nature calculated to stimulate their efforts in depriving pensioners of pensions properly and most carefully awarded?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board upheld an appeal by the pension officer, on the ground that John Dolan had deprived himself of means worth more than £31 10s. a year in order to obtain a pension. He had a life interest in a farm of thirty-five acres, with five cows and other stock, and in December, 1909, he assigned his interest to his nephew, reserving only his support and the grass of two cows. As regards the concluding portion of the question, pension officers are not under my control.
§ Mr. SHEEHANasked whether the Local Government Board have received further evidence of age in the case of the old age pension claimant Honora Lehane, of Knocknaloman, Rathmore, in the Mill-street pension district; whether this evidence tends to show that she is well over seventy years of age and entitled to her pension; and, if so, whether she will receive it?
§ Mr. BIRRELLA claim by Honora Lehane was disallowed by the pension subcommittee in October, 1909, but she has since made a fresh claim, which is at present being investigated by the Local Government Board, on appeal.