asked the Minister for Defence if he will reconsider the cases of those Enniscorthy men who took part in the Rising of 1916 and who were refused pensions, with a view to remedying any injustice which may have been done to them.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Enniscorthy Pension Claims.
As the administration of the Military Service Pensions Acts has concluded, I regret that I am not in a position to reconsider the claims mentioned by the Deputy.
The Minister must be aware that during the general election——
If the Deputy has a supplementary question to ask, he may ask it.
——that pensions were granted to members of the Fianna Fáil Party in Enniscorthy town.
The position is that, since December, 1945, the honorary secretary of this association has been asked on very many occasions to supply the relevant extra evidence which would enable the Minister to reopen these cases. Up to the end of last year, no such supplementary evidence had been supplied to him.
Did you not receive a deputation from the Old I.R.A. in Enniscorthy town?
I received a deputation, but a deputation is not evidence in accordance with the Act.
Did you promise them anything?
If the evidence asked for over the past five years was forthcoming, it would be considered. I am still as blank with regard to evidence as my predecessor.