asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether his attention has been drawn to the application of Hugh Devers, Connaghrea, Balderrig, Co. Mayo, for an old age pension—No. on Pension Officer's Register, 2126 (Crossmolina Station)—which was disallowed on the ground that the applicant was non-resident in the Irish Free State; whether he is aware that the applicant returned from America in July, 1916, and, consequently, was a citizen of Saorstát Eireann at the time of the coming into effect of the Constitution, and whether, in view of the fact that there is no dispute in respect of the age or means of the applicant, he will revise the decision to disallow this pension.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - DISALLOWANCE OF OLD AGE PENSION.
TOMÁS MacEOIN
My attention has been drawn to this case, in which the claim to the pension was disallowed by the Ballycastle Pension Sub-Committee on the 25th February, 1920. The claimant appealed, but his appeal was received late, and was dismissed on that ground.
It appears from the official file that the claimant was then about 3½ years home from Canada, where he had lived about 20 years. The date of his return is not mentioned, but July, 1916, is possibly correct. The case has not since come to me on a fresh appeal upon a new claim.
Mr. Devers is admittedly a citizen of An Saorstát, and fulfilled the statutory condition of nationality even in 1920 but was then debarred from a pension on the ground of residence, that is to say, that he had not resided in the United Kingdom for at least an aggregate period of not less than 12 years out of the previous 20 years. The residence qualification still holds, and is not in any way varied by the Constitution.
The claimant's age was not established in connection with the appeal of 1920, and I have no evidence on that point or in regard to his means.
In the circumstances it is regretted that the claim cannot be entertained until he has fulfilled the residence qualification.