asked the Minister for Defence if he will state when a decision will be arrived at concerning (1) military service pensions for 1916 men who were attached to the Fingal Brigade, I.R.A., and who were called before the board about six months ago, and (2) if he is in a position to state when all claims of members of the Fingal Brigade, I.R.A., will be heard by the board and determined.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Military Service Pensions.
I am unable to state definitely when a decision will be reached in the claims referred to in the first part of the Deputy's question, but it is expected that practically all of them will have been heard in the course of the next few months. I am not in a position to state when the hearing of the claims referred to in the second part of the Deputy's question will be completed.
asked the Minister for Defence whether his attention has been directed to a statement in the public Press alleging that the referee and Advisory Committee appointed under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934, have asked certain officers in a number of areas to express their opinion on lists of applicants under the Act in a way likely to debar large numbers of Old I.R.A. men from having their claims to pensions heard; and whether he is aware that such procedure is calculated to prejudice full consideration of claims under the Act.
I have seen the statement to which the Deputy refers and have consulted the referee on this matter. I understand that the referee has asked area committees for their opinion in the following classes of cases:—
(1) Cases in which from the lack of details supplied by claimants in their application forms it is not clear whether a prima facie case exists for the making of an award in respect of service during the various qualifying periods.
(2) Cases in which the service claimed during the qualifying periods appears to have been purely nominal service.
(3) Cases in which the 1924 Act may apply in fact but not in law in accordance with Section 3 (3) of the 1934 Act.
This procedure is calculated to protect an applicant who may not have set out in his original claim full details of his military service. It cannot prejudice the full consideration of any application. In accordance with the prescribed rules of procedure each applicant is notified of the referee's findings on his application and is given an opportunity, before the referee completes his report, of furnishing any additional evidence or representations which he may wish to submit, with a view to a revision of the findings of which he has been notified.