§ Mr. THOMAS O'DONNELLasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the Ardfert old age pension sub-committee resigned as a protest against the action of the local pension officer, Mr. Humphreys, who, as they think, supplied the Local Government Board with wholly erroneous estimates of the means of applicants for pensions; whether this action of the sub-committee was afterwards approved by the Kerry County Council; and whether, seeing that injustice has been done by his conduct to the various applicants for pensions, and in view of the indignalion that prevails in this district on account of this officer's conduct, a sworn inquiry will be ordered into the whole matter?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI am aware that the Ardfert Pension Sub-Committee have resigned and that their action has been approved Ly the Kerry County Council. I have also seen copies of the resolutions passed by these two bodies. The resolutions do not, as I read them, charge the officer with supplying the committee or the Local Government Hoard with erroneous information as to the facts relating to any claim or question. Such a charge would be so serious that, if it was intended, I must ask for it to be substantiated by full particulars with a view to such action as may be necessary. On the other hand, I cannot take any action if the reason for the sub-committee's action was that the officer has exercised his right of appeal in cases where his own opinion, based on the facts elicited in the course of investigation, differed from that of the committee themselves. In such cases the officer would be failing in his duty if he did not exercise his right of appeal. I may add that the appeals were decided in the officer's favour by the Local Government Board.