§ Mr. FETHERSTONHAUGHasked the Secretary to the Treasury the amount paid in old age pensions in 1912 at the post offices of Clifden, county Galway, and Belmullet, county Mayo, respectively; and what was the remuneration of the postmasters at each of these offices for the old age pension work?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe amounts paid in old age pensions at the two offices in 1912 were £1,846 15s. at Clifden and £1,519 at Belmullet. The sub-postmaster of Belmullet was paid £11 2s. for the work of paying old age pensions in 1912, but Clifden is a salaried sub-office, where the staff is in the direct employment of the Postmaster-General, and no part of the sub-postmaster's salary is specially earmarked as payment for work and responsibility in connection with old age pensions.
§ Mr. SHEEHANasked the Chief Secretary whether the Local Government Board have now before them the claims for old age pensions of Cornelius and Mary Sheehan, of Inchamore, Coolea, in the Macroom (No. 2) district; whether Cornelius Sheehan was awarded the full pension in 1909, after complete and full inquiry into his circumstances by the pension officer, who reported that he was satisfied that the means of this claimant did not exceed £21 per annum; whether there has been any change in the circumstances of the claimant, and, if not, whether any grounds exist for revising the matter; whether Mary Sheehan recently 46W had her claim for the full pension allowed on the report of the pension officer that her means did not exceed the statutory limit; whether this same officer now reports that her means do exceed the specified limit; whether the pensions committee have unanimously granted the pensions in both cases; and will the Local Government Board, if necessary, and having regard to the contradictions of the pension officers, grant an independent inquiry and investigation into these cases?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThese two cases are at present under consideration by the Local Government Board, and will not be decided until the Board have inquired fully into all the circumstances.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland on what grounds the old age pension was refused to Mary M'Carthy, of Ardagh, county Limerick, by the Local Government Board; whether he is aware that, on the 23rd November, 1862, she was married, as the certificate from the register of the parish church proves, and that her statement is that she was over twenty-one years at that time; that she is now lodging in a labourer's cottage and has no means of support; and whether, under these circumstances, he will direct that the pension officer again inquires into her case with the view of giving her the pension?
§ Mr. BIRRELLMary M'Carthy's claim was disallowed by the Local Government Board in June last on appeal on the ground that the evidence submitted was insufficient to show that she was seventy years of age. She was married on the date mentioned in the question, but there is no corroboration of her statement as to her age at that time. Another claim made by her is now under consideration.