asked the Minister for Defence whether he will take steps to have local sittings of the Military Service Pensions Board in County Laoighis and County Offaly and to acquaint applicants for pensions of the dates and places of such sittings.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Military Service Pensions Board Sittings.
Mr. O'Higgins
Local sittings of the Referee and Advisory Committee and Board of Assessors in County Laoighis and County Offaly will be considered when sessions for the particular areas are being arranged. It is the intention to arrange local sittings where the applicants do not reside within a reasonable distance of Dublin, but the particular area where such sittings will be heard will depend to a large extent on the number of applicants from that area. All applicants called for hearing will receive ample notice of the date and place at which the sittings will be heard.
Would it not be possible for the Minister, in the near future, to publish a general itinerary of this pensions board?
This has reference to Laoighis and Offaly alone.
Mr. Collins
The Minister, in his reply, raised the whole question.
The Minister referred to Laoighis and Offaly.
Mr. O'Higgins
Is the Minister aware that a number of applicants in both Laoighis and Offaly—not a number, but some anyway—have received information of their claims being heard in Dublin and have been inconvenienced as a result by bringing up witnesses?
I have no doubt that the Referee will take all that into consideration.
Mr. O'Higgins
I ask the Minister to bring that to the notice of the pensions board. These questions are not put down for a joke. Apparently some members of the Government think they are.
With the Deputy's sense of humour they might be.