§ Mr. CRUMLEYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he can state the grounds upon which the Local Government Board refused to sanction an old age pension to Mrs. Mary M'Bride, Derra-brick, county Fermanagh; whether he is aware that Mr. Barton Grahame, Banagh, who is ninety-four years of age, certified that he knew her for over seventy years, and that Mr. John Chittick, Banagh, who is over eighty years of age, certified that to his personal knowledge Mrs. M'Bride was over seventy years; and whether he can state the grounds upon which the Local Government Board acted upon the opinion of their officer, who is not more than twenty-five years, in preference to the testimony of Messrs. Barton Grahame and Chittick, who have known Mrs. M'Bride for over seventy and eighty years?
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§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board upheld the appeal of the pension officer on the ground that the evidence submitted was not sufficient to prove that Mrs. M'Bride had reached the statutory age. The Board are not now in possession of the original documents, but they have no record to show that the persons mentioned furnished any evidence in support of their assertions that they had known the claimant for over seventy years. The hon. Member is under a misapprehension in thinking that any officer of the Board visited the claimant, and expressed an opinion as to her age which was adopted by them.