asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether he has considered a claim for an old age pension by Bernard Malone, of 8 Richmond Place, Rathmines (Register No. 1173, Rathmines Urban District), and whether, in view of the fact that Mr. Malone, though naturalised as a citizen of the United States of America, has been resident in the Saorstát for the last fifty years, has become a Saorstát citizen under Article 3 of the Constitution and has not elected not to accept citizenship, the Minister would be prepared to treat the claimant as having sufficient qualification in respect of citizenship.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - RATHMINES O.A.P. APPLICATION.
TOMAS MAC EOIN
The qualifications to pension of applicants where questions of nationality of the kind indicated by the Deputy had arisen, have caused legal perplexities. A considered and authoritative opinion on the whole matter has now been received by me, and I am pleased to be in a position to state that so far as the qualification on grounds of nationality is concerned, I will be prepared to allow this claim in respect of which an appeal has been received to-day. Inquiries will have to be made as to whether the applicant satisfies the statutory conditions in regard to age and means, but I shall see that there is no avoidable delay in giving a decision in the case.
I take it the Minister is aware that this application has been before his Department three times, and that the man is 86 years of age?
I am.