§ Mr. H. LAWalso asked the grounds upon which Bridget Gillespie, of Mullaghduff, Annagry, county Donegal, was deprived by the Local Government Board of the old age pension granted to her by the Glenties (No. 2) sub-committee; whether lie is aware that no notice of appeal was received by the applicant; and whether he will give instructions that notice of appeal shall be given to the applicant in all cases in which an appeal or question is raised against the issue of a pension granted by a pension committee, and that the grounds of any adverse decision on the part of the Local Government Board shall be stated upon the form on which such decision is made known to the applicant?
§ Mr. BIRRELLBridget Gillespie's claim was disallowed on the ground that she had not reached the statutory age. She was not amongst the members of her parents' family in the Census Return of 1841, and in the Census of 1851 she was returned as being only five years old. Before determining the claim, the Local Government Board informed the claimant of the receipt, of the appeal, and the ground on which it was made, and they have her reply to their communication. This is in accordance with the invariable practice of the Board. The form in which the decision is communicated is statutory and the Board have no power to alter it, but they will inform a claimant of the reason for the disallowance of a claim if asked to do so.
§ Mr. SHEEHANasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Mrs. Honoria Buckley, Carriginimma, in the Macroom (No. 2) pension district, was for some time in receipt of an old age pension; that owing, as she alleges, to the fact that she has been confounded with another person of the same name, who was born at a much later date than she was, her claim has recently been refused by the Local Government Board; whether he is aware that she submitted several documents to the Board, including her marriage certificate and the baptismal certificate of her eldest son, and 1614W a statement as to her age signed by the Rev. William M'Auliffe, P.P., tending to show that she was married on the 25th February, 1868, and that she was twenty-nine years of age at the time; and, in view of these facts and that a mistake appears to have been made in this case, will the Local Government Board immediately order the continuance of this woman's pension and a refund for the period she has been deprived of it?
§ Mr. BIRRELLMrs. Buckley was, as stated, in receipt of a pension awarded by the Macroom (No. 2) Pension sub-committee. The pension was discontinued as the result of a question raised by the pension officer to the effect that Mrs. Buckley was not seventy years of age, being recorded as only seven years old in the Census Return of 1851. There is no reason to suppose that the entry in the Census Return relates to some other person. The claimant appears to have submitted a certificate showing that she was married on 25th February, 1868, but there was no satisfactory evidence as to her age at that time. There is no ground for believing that a mistake was made in this case.