asked the Minister for Defence if he will state the number of persons who have applied for pensions under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1924; also the number to whom pensions have been granted and the number rejected.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - MILITARY PENSIONS.
SEAN O LAIDHIN
The total number of applications on the prescribed form is approximately 21,100. About 8,100 of these, so far, have been ruled out of consideration on the ground that the applicants did not claim the minimum amount of military service required to qualify them for pensions. As regards other applications, up to the present the Board of Assessors have reported that 191 applicants have not established their claims to such service, and that 605 applicants had rendered service in respect of which pensions could be granted. In four of the latter cases, so far, I have been unable to grant pensions. The total number of rejections is accordingly at present about 8,300.
Will the Minister state the reason for the delay in dealing with applications for pensions? There is a very large number of these men in the different towns in the Saorstát and they have practically nothing to live on. They are entitled to pensions, as they are deserving cases.
There is no undue delay in this matter. Fully 21,000 claims had to be investigated in the first instance. There were 8,083 rejected and in 2,000 other cases the applicants had been notified that the evidence submitted so far has not been satisfactory; they can submit supplementary evidence. The number of other cases in which oral evidence was taken in Dublin and at other centres in the Saorstát is 5,226; there are 5,089 cases in which the investigation is not yet completed.
Can the Minister say whether it is likely that all those cases will be dealt with?
As soon as the Committee that is dealing with them has completed its labours, those cases will be dealt with. I cannot force the Committee to do any more work than it is doing. I think the members of the Committee are doing very well, because they have a very heavy task to perform.
Can the Minister say whether those cases will be completed in June or April?
I cannot say.
The members of the Committee must not be working Trade Union hours.
I hope they are paid better wages than the men on the Shannon Scheme.