asked the Minister for Defence whether a considerable number of applications for pensions under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934, were submitted in respect of old I.R.A. men now resident in New York City; whether the Saorstát Minister at Washington was authorised to inform the persons submitting claims under the Act who were resident in America that they were not entitled to obtain pensions; whether the claims in question were referred to the Referee appointed under Section 5 of the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934; whether in fact the Referee and the Advisory Committee considered the applications and, if not, whether it is his intention to appoint a Referee in the United States and arrange that meetings of the Advisory Committee will be held at convenient venues in the United States so that persons having bona fide claims under the Act will have an opportunity of supporting them by evidence and personal representations.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Pension Claims from U.S.A.
asked the Minister for Defence if he is aware that there is grave dissatisfaction amongst those eligible for pensions under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934, residing at present in the United States at the delay in having their claims investigated, and if the Minister, in view of the fact that they constitute a special problem, will undertake to set up machinery for dealing equitably and expeditiously with their claims.
I propose to deal with both of those questions together. A considerable number of applications under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934, has been received from persons at present resident in the United States. The President of Seán Oglaigh na h-Eireann in New York was informed by the Saorstát Minister at Washington that his request for the establishment of a board to hear New York pension claims in New York could not be entertained, as the Military Service Pensions Act does not provide for the appointment of such a board. A number of the applications received from U.S.A. have been referred to the Referse, and the balance will be referred in the near future.
The Referee is in communication with the applicants resident in the United States, Australia and other countries abroad inviting evidence in support of their applications.
These applications do not constitute a special problem; the only difference in dealing with them and the applications of persons resident in the Saorstát is that the latter are invited to amplify the statements contained in their applications by oral evidence, and the former by written. Otherwise the procedure of investigation of the applications is identical.