asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he is aware that the claims of two applicants for old age pensions, named Catherine Kehoe, No. 3219, and Catherine Leacy, No. 3220, born in the parish of Caim, whose baptismal records are not now available, have been refused by his Department, although recommended by the Enniscorthy and Kiltealy Old Age Pensions Committee, who were fully satisfied the applicants were of age, and if he will have these claims reconsidered by his Department.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - OLD AGE PENSIONS CLAIMS.
These two claims were disallowed on appeal on the 23rd ultimo on the ground of insufficient evidence of age. The decisions already given cannot be reconsidered, but if the claimants are, at any time, in a position to obtain more definite evidence of age, it is open to them to make fresh claims in the usual way.
My information is that those people cannot get their certificates, as they were destroyed through no fault of theirs. Is it not hard to ask those people to wait for the pension until somebody says they are seventy years of age? There is no arrangement by which old-age pensioners can receive back-money when they are granted a pension. The people in this parish are satisfied that these applicants are seventy years of age, and I think the Minister should see that they get what they are entitled to.