asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether he will state the reason for refusing to grant an old age pension to Mrs. Rose Keogh, Coughlanstown East, Ballymore-Eustace, Co. Kildare; whether this claim has been allowed on three occasions during the last two years by the Naas Pensions Sub-Committee; whether she has sent in affidavits from her god-parents, who are eighty-five and eighty-three years' old respectively, giving proof of age, and whether, as Mrs. Keogh has no means of livelihood, he will have further enquiries made with a view to awarding a pension.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - KILDARE O.A.P. CLAIM.
The facts are substantially as stated. The claims were disallowed on the ground of insufficient evidence to show that the claimant had attained the age of 70 years. The last decision was given on the 24th of November last. Since then no appeal has been received upon a fresh claim. If an appeal comes in at a later date the case will be carefully and sympathetically investigated, and if necessary one of the Department's General Inspectors will be deputed to make a local investigation of the facts bearing on age.
Does the Minister not think that affidavits from the god-parents are a sufficient proof of age?
They have been already turned down.
Would the Minister suggest who would be more likely to know the age of the claimant?
I understand that a Deputy in this House already gave some information of that kind to persons seeking the pension, and I do not believe it was acted on.