The matter which I gave notice of raising on the adjournment is not of very great importance, except to the individuals concerned, but inasmuch as the men concerned have been called upon to appear at Portobello to-morrow, I wanted to safeguard their position by raising the matter in this way. It appears that certain men who live in Belfast have made applications for pensions. They are required to appear at Portobello to-morrow. They are, however, out of work, have no money, and cannot appear unless they walk. It is a long journey, and sometimes there is trouble over the Border. In any case, it is not fair to ask the men to walk to Dublin to appear before the Board in their circumstances. What I desire to find out is whether it is possible, when the Board or any of its officers do not think fit to travel to Belfast, outside the jurisdiction, as is done in respect to other parts of the country, to have facilities provided for men in this position to travel to Dublin. In the cases in question it may be possible that at some future date there may be an excursion when the fares may be lower, and possibly the money might be provided, but if the men are disqualified from any rights because they do not appear on the date provided, I think it would be an injustice. I want to prevent that injustice arising. But inasmuch, as I said before, the date is to-morrow, I would like to ask the Minister if he cannot see whether some provision is made to meet their case, either by the appearance of the Board in Belfast, or in some convenient place, or failing that, that the men themselves may be provided with the means of travelling to Dublin so that they may appear before the Board; or in the alternative that this date should not be finally fixed, but that some other date would be available—some date that would be more convenient, say when an excursion from Belfast would be coming to Dublin, or something of that kind that would make it easier for these men to travel.
SUPPLEMENTARY AND ADDITIONAL ESTIMATES. - THE ADJOURNMENT—FACILITIES FOR PENSION APPLICANTS.
I can assure the Deputy that there will be no disqualification of these men, if they do not appear to-morrow. It is not intended that the men should be disqualified for any such cause as that. As a matter of fact, all these men did get an opportunity of attending at Dundalk, or Clones, or at some other Border town when the Commission happened to be sitting in any one of these places. The men did not avail of that opportunity. Perhaps they could not avail of it. But taking all the circumstances into consideration provision will be made that if the men appear at any time in the future before the Board is dissolved, their cases will be heard and they will not be penalised for their inability to attend to-morrow. I do not think there is any provision in the regulations or in the Act whereby we could give these men any facilities for coming to Dublin before the Board, because the onus of proof is upon the men themselves to present any evidence they have to give before the Commission. While I cannot hold out any hope that we will give railway warrants or money to these men to bring them up, every facility will be given to take their evidence at the most convenient place for them. Everything possible will be done to convenience them.
Would it be possible to hear them on a Sunday, when, as we know, there are frequent excursions to Dublin?
I do not think that would be desirable.
I am satisfied with the assurance that, at any rate, the men will not be disqualified. We may be able to find some means of assisting them.
The Dáil adjourned at 8 p.m.