§ Mr. HACKETTasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Mrs. Johanna Curry, Pike Street, Thurles, county Tipperary, was refused a full pension of 5s. per week by the Local Government Board on appeal, and that Mrs. Curry is depending on her sister for her support; and whether he can state the reason which led the pension officer to report that her means entitled her to receive the reduced pension of 3s. per week?
Mr. BIRELLAn appeal has been lodged in the case of a woman named Johanna Curry against a decision of the Thurles pension sub-committee, but the Local Government Board have not yet received the papers in the case. If this is the case referred to by the hon. Member the sub-committee themselves allowed a pension of three shillings only in the first instance.
§ Mr. HACKETTasked the grounds upon which the Templemore sub-committee disallowed the claim of James Guilfoyle, Lisheen, Templemore, county Tipperary, to an old age pension, seeing that James Guilfoyle assigned his small farm to his son by deed in 1908, subject to an annuity of £12 per annum payable quarterly; and how the pension officer determined that Guilfoyle's means did not entitle him to an old age pension?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on the 15th March last. This case was determined by the Local Government Board, and the assignment referred to was made in December, 1909.
§ Mr. HACKETTasked why the Local Government, Board decided that Patrick Dempsey, Barrack Street, Templemore, county Tipperary, is not entitled to a pension; upon what evidence the pension officer decided that Patrick Dempsey was not the statutory age; whether the principal residents of Templemore, including some persons over seventy years, have signed a memorial stating he is over seventy years; and whether the pension officer can produce any evidence from register, Census returns, or otherwise to prove he is over the statutory age?
§ Mr. BIRRELLPatrick Dempsey did not know the date of his birth and his age940W could not be found in either the baptismal register or the Census returns. He was unable to furnish any evidence beyond the statements of some residents in Templemore that they believed him to be over seventy years of age. The Local Government Board, therefore, disallowed the claim on the ground that Dempsey had failed to show that he fulfilled the statutory condition as to age. The onus rests upon a claimant to a pension of showing that he had reached the age of seventy years.
§ Mr. HACKETTasked the reasons upon which the Local Government Board have refused to grant an old age pension to William O'Brien, Turraheen, Rossmore, county Tipperary; whether the Cashel, county Tipperary, sub-committee granted him a pension, as the sub-committee consider he is over the statutory age; whether he will advise the Local Government Board to accept the certificate of the parish priest or the sworn declarations of persons in the locality, who know him to be over seventy years, seeing that the baptismal registry, Castleconnell, county Limerick (the church in which he was baptised), is missing or has been destroyed?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board disallowed William O'Brien's claim on the ground that he had failed to show that he fulfilled the statutory condition as to age. He furnished no evidence of age and could not be traced in the Census returns. The only certificate received by the Board from the parish priest was to the effect that the parochial records were destroyed by fire some years ago.