§ Mr. HACKETTasked the reasons for which the pension officer at Cashel, county Tipperary, deprived Michael Dineen of his old age pension?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI am making inquiries in this case, and will communicate the result to the hon. Member. In the1702W meantime I may remind him that the responsibility for decisions involving the revocation of an old age pensions rests, not with the pension officer, but with the local pension committee, or with the Local Government Board on appeal.
§ Mr. HACKETTasked the reasons why the pension officer at Templemore has refused the full pension to Michael Casey, Boardstown, Drom?
§ Mr. MASTERMANPension Officers have no power to refuse a pension or to decide the rate at which a pension should be granted. I was informed that in the case of Michael Casey the rate of pension (3s. a week) was fixed by the Local Government Board on appeal from a decision of the Local Pension Committee.
§ Mr. JOHN WALSHasked the Chief Secretary why Julia Wholey, of Keamore North, Leap, in the division of South Cork, was deprieved of an old age pension of 5s. per week, which she commenced to receive on 9th June, 1911; why her husband's, Denis Wholey, claim for an old age pension, which was made on the 18th July, 1911, was rejected; is he aware that one pension officer estimated their joint means at £30 a year, another officer estimated it at £35, and finally the Local Government Board decided that their joint means exceeded £63 a year; and will he say upon what basis the latter formed their calculation in arriving at this figure?
§ Mr. GULLANDThe case of Julia Wholey does not appear to have come before the Local Government Board. Her husband's claim was disallowed by the Board on appeal in October, 1911, on the ground that his means exceeded the statutory limit. The estimate was based on the stock and crops on his farm, which consisted of twenty-eight acres, and carried four cows, two yearling cattle, and two calves, in addition to a horse, sheep, and fowl. There was also a considerable amount of tillage.
§ Mr. FFRENCHasked if, in view of the fact that the Old Age Pensions Act expressly declares that any medical or surgical assistance, including food and comforts given under the direction of a doctor, or any relief that does not involve disfranchisement, do not carry disqualification for an old age pension, he will state why certain old age pensioners in the Wexford workhouse hospital have been deprived of their pensions?
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§ Mr. BIRRELLA definite reply cannot be given to this question in the absence of particulars of the cases referred to by the hon. Member.
§ Mr. FFRENCHasked if an old age pensioner is admitted by way of loan and placed on a separate register and repays the entire cost of his maintenance it is held that he is obtaining assistance from two public sources at the same time, or incurring electoral disability, and therefore disqualifying himself for a pension?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the question asked on this subject by the hon. Member for West Limerick on the 9th May.
§ Mr. SCANLANasked why the Local Government Board have refused to allow John Cleary, of Upper Caltra, Easkey, county Sligo, a pension under the Old Age Pensions Act at the rate of 5s. per week?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board considered that the value of maintenance and other privileges on the farm on which John Cleary resides, and which he assigned to his son, is worth 10s. a week, and that he was therefore not entitled to a pension at a higher rate than 3s. a week.
§ Mr. DELANYasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that the sub-committee at Cloneygowan, King's County, on the 21st March, 1912, awarded a pension of 5s. a week to Mrs. Catherine Rourke, Cloneygowan, which has been appealed against by the local pension officer, and that on the 31st January, 1911, Mrs. Rourke was granted a similar pension by the Cloneygowan committee, which was also appealed against and disallowed by the Local Government Board; and, seeing that Mrs. Rourke produced a certificate of marriage from the Rev. James O'Beirne, P.P., Killeigh, showing that the marriage took place on the 30th November, 1872, and that she was then thirty-five years of age; and, seeing that the committee at Cloneygowan, having all those documents before them and knowing Mrs. Rourke and all the local circumstances, have twice endorsed her claim, can he say what action the Local Government Board propose to take in this case?
§ Mr. BIRRELLCatherine Rourke's second claim for a pension was disallowed by the Local Government Board on appeal1704W on the 15th inst. on the ground of insufficient evidence of age. So far as the records show it does not appear that her age at marriage was entered on the marriage certificate. In the Census Return of 1841 her name did not appear in the record of her parents' family; and in the 1851 Return her age was shown as seven years, that is to say she was born in 1844. She would therefore appear to be now only sixty-eight years old.
§ Mr. SCANLANasked whether the Local Government Board will reconsider their decision in the case of the application by Mrs. Catherine Golden, of Lugdoon, Templeboy, county Sligo, for an old age pension, in view of the fact that the local pension committee have on two occasions unanimously recommended her for a pension, being satisfied that she was qualified as to age and accepting the evidence submitted to them that the small farm for which she is entered as tenant was transferred to her son on the occasion of his marriage, in consideration of a sum of £40 deposited in her name in the Post Office Savings Bank; and whether, in view of the circumstances, the Local Government Board will send an inspector to visit Mrs. Golden and make an investigation of the facts on the spot?
§ Mr. BIRRELLCatherine Golden's claim for an old age pension was disallowed by the Local Government Board on the ground that her means exceeded the statutory limit. In the circumstances the Board have no power to reopen consideration of her case or to take any further action in the matter.
§ Mr. HACKETTasked the grounds upon which the Local Government Board refused an old age pension to Patrick O'Toole, Knockbritlass, Kilcommon, county Tipperary; and whether he can state the grounds upon which the Local Government Board decided his income was over £31 10s.
§ Mr. BIRRELLPatrick O'Toole's pension was disallowed by the Local Government, Board on appeal on the ground that his means exceeded the statutory limit having regard to the stock and crops on his farm. The latter contains twenty-nine acres, and there was on it eight cows, four yearlings, and five calves, in addition to other stock. He had also the right to commonage grazing.