asked the Minister for Defence whether his attention has been called to the claim of Mrs. Cecilia Griffin, of Dean's Grange, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, for dependent's allowance in respect of her son, No. 22580, Corporal Thomas Griffin, 44th Infantry Battalion; whether he is aware that she was informed on March 21st, and again on September 26th, that the matter was in the hands of the Investigation Branch, and whether he will take steps to expedite the investigation.
WRITTEN ANSWERS. - CLAIM FOR DEPENDENT'S ALLOWANCE.
Mrs. Griffin was informed on the 21st March last that her claim for dependents' allowance in respect of her son, Corporal Thomas Griffin, was under investigation. She was notified on the 27th June last that the claim was rejected. It had been found, after due investigation, that the extent of the dependence which, in 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 enlistment, was less than the minimum specified by regulations, namely, 12/- per week, before an allowance may be issued. It should be stated that the regulations in a case of this kind are based on a recognition of an obligation on the part of the soldier to contribute to the support of his dependents a reasonable portion of his army pay, this portion being calculated as 8/- per week in the case of a soldier receiving ordinary rate of pay.
On the 4th September Mrs. Griffin filled in a claim for dependents' allowance in respect of her son Martin, but in a covering letter she stated that as her son Martin did not reside with her, she therefore did not expect anything for him. She was inadvertently informed, on 26th September, that this claim was under investigation, but in view of her letter referred to the investigation of the claim was not pursued.