asked the Minister for Defence if he will state the number of applicants for military service pensions from County Mayo who were rejected without a hearing for the period from the passing of the Military Service Pensions (Amendment) Act, 1949, to 1st August, 1952, and the number from 1st August, 1952, to the present date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Military Service Pensions
The number of applicants for military service certificates from County Mayo in whose cases the Board of Assessors or the Referee reported unfavourably, without an oral hearing, was: (a) during the period from the date of enactment of the Military Service Pensions (Amendment) Act, 1949, to the 31st July, 1952, inclusive—Nil; (b) during the period from the 1st August, 1952, to the 28th February, 1954, inclusive—549, including 460 petitioners under the Act of 1949 in whose cases the Board of Assessors or the Referee refused to re-examine the applications on the ground that there was not a prima facie case that the persons concerned were persons to whom the Military Service Pensions Act, 1924 or 1934, applied. I may mention that the majority of these 460 cases were actually graded as non prima facie by the Board of Assessors or Referee before the 1st August, 1952. The reports to the Minister were not made, however, until after that date and, accordingly, the cases concerned have had to be included with those in respect of the period subsequent to the 1st August, 1952.
asked the Minister for Defence if he will state (i) the number of appeals for military service pensions from applicants who had service in County Mayo which were heard from the passing of the Military Service Pensions (Amendment) Act, 1949, to 1st August, 1952; (ii) how many awards were made in that period, and (iii) how many appeals were heard and awards made in the case of County Mayo applicants since 1st August, 1952, to the present date.
(i) The number of cases in which, during the period from the date of enactment of the Military Service Pensions (Amendment) Act, 1949, to the 31st July, 1952, inclusive, the Board of Assessors or the Referee re-examined applications for military service certificates, on petition made under the Act of 1949, and in which there was an oral hearing, was 103. (ii) The number of the cases mentioned in which the Board of Assessors or the Referee reported favourably was 30. (iii) The corresponding numbers for the period from the 1st August, 1952, to the 28th February, 1954, inclusive; were 35 and seven, respectively.