§ Mr. WILLIAM O'BRIENasked the Chief Secretary, whether his attention has 557W been drawn to the case of Charles Galwey, of Ballydaheen, Mallow, an old, blind fiddler, who has been deprived of his old age pension by the local Excise pension officer on the ground that the year of his birth could not be traced in the parochial register or in the Census Office in Dublin, notwithstanding the unanimous resolution of the Mallow Pension Committee that from their local knowledge and inquiries they are satisfied that he is above seventy years of age; are such applicants to be permanently debarred from pensions in the absence of certificates of their ages; and, if not, when or under what circumstances local Pension Committes can obtain old age pensions for them?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board upheld the pension officer's appeal in this case on the ground that there was no satisfactory evidence that Galwey had attained the statutory age. No general rule or restriction is laid down as to what evidence other than that of baptismal certificate or of Census returns can be regarded as sufficient proof that a claimant has attained the age of seventy years. Any evidence submitted in cases coming before the Board is duly considered.
§ Mr. HACKETTasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that Patrick Condon, Milestone, Thurles, was granted a pension on 30th January, 1911, by the Templemore pension sub-committee, the first payment to be made on Friday, 3rd February, 1911, and that the pension officer has not yet issued a book of pension orders to enable Patrick Condon to draw his pension; and whether he can state the reason of the delay?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI am making inquiries as to this case, and will communicate the result to the hon. Member in due course.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Chief Secretary if he is aware that the local pension committee granted a pension to James Long, of Clouncrippa, Feenagh, in the county of Limerick, having carefully considered the facts of his case, which are as follows: that, owing to a domestic trouble, he assigned the interest in his holding, consisting of fifteen acres, I. P. M., and six cows thereon, to his son Garrett for a nominal sum of money; that subsequently Garrett married and worked the holding in his 558W own right, allowing his father an annuity of £5; and that James Long has no other means of support, and can testify on oath to the above facts; and whether, as there is no question of age involved but one of means, the pension officer holding that the assignment of the land and stock was not genuine, the Local Government Board will carefully consider the facts before they give a decision on the case?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board have already on two occasions last year upheld appeals of the pension officer against decisions of the local pension subcommittee awarding James Long a pension of five shillings a week on the ground that his means exceed the statutory limit, and a third claim is now before them on appeal by the pension officer on the same grounds. The holding is of the size mentioned, and it is alleged that its transfer to Long's son was on account of domestic trouble. Any statement which Long may make with a view to showing that the assignment was not made in order to qualify for the receipt of a pension will be duly considered.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Chief Secretary if he can say on what ground Cornelius Curtin, of Knockfierna, Ballingarry, in the county of Limerick, was refused an old age pension; if he is aware of the fact that a statutory declaration was made by two old men in the district before a magistrate that the applicant is over seventy years of age; and whether, as he can get no further proof of his age, the pension in this case will be granted?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on 29th July last. Cornelius Curtin made a further claim in August last, which was disallowed by the local pension sub-committee and also by the Local Government Board on appeal by Curtin on the ground that there was no satisfactory evidence that he had attained the statutory age.