asked the Minister for defence to state on what grounds dependent's allowance has been refused in the case of Frank Phillips, of Killarney, No. 5577, now stationed at the Curragh Camp; whether the evidence goes to show that this man had been earning £2 8s. per week, and was employed by Mr. John O'Connor, contractor, Killarney, who certified to these facts, and that his mother was solely dependent upon him for support; and will he direct that further enquiry be made into this case.
[ WRITTEN ANSWERS. ] - DEPENDENT'S ALLOWANCE.
This case has been re-investigated, and it has been confirmed that the claim of Mrs. Phillips, who at the most was only partially supported by her son Frank, should be disallowed on the ground that the extent of dependence which is the case of an unmarried soldier is taken to be the amount normally contributed by him to his home over and above the cost (if any) of his own maintenance therein for a reasonable period prior to his enlistment, was less than the minimum required by regulations—that is, 12s. per week—before an allowance may be issued. It appears that Phillips' employment with Mr. O'Connor ceased about a year prior to his enlistment. It should be stated that the regulations governing the matter are based on the recognition of an obligation on the part of an unmarried soldier to contribute to the support of his dependents a reasonable portion of his Army pay, this portion being calculated as 8s. per week in the case of a soldier receiving ordinary rates of pay.