asked the Minister for Defence if he will state the number of claims for military service pensions heard by the Military Service Pensions Board during the period 1st October, 1951, to 31st May, 1954; and, further, if he will state (a) the number of such claims allowed and pensions awarded; (b) the number of such claims rejected for which notification of rejection has been issued to claimants; and (c) the number of claims rejected for which notification of such rejection has not yet been issued to claimants.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Military Service Pensions.
The number of claims under the Military Service Pensions Acts, 1924 and 1934, heard by the Board of Assessors and Referee during the period 1st October, 1951 to 31st May, 1954, and in respect of which reports were made to the Minister is 14,537; the number of such claims in which pensions have been awarded is 942; the number of such claims rejected in which notification of rejection has been issued to claimants is 6,551; the number of claims rejected in which notification of rejection has not yet been issued to claimants is 7,044.
Can the Minister state why notification that their claims were rejected was not sent to the other applicants? Will he say why notification was withheld prior to and during the recent election?
There are two reasons. One, of course, is that the staff is inadequate. Then no Government likes to send out bad news like that prior to or during an election.
May I point out that during the period of the election there must have been dozens of Deputies who received notice from me to the effect that applicants in whom they had an interest were rejected?
That is true. I was so notified by the Minister that applications were rejected, but the applicants themselves were not told that they were rejected.
Does the Minister understand that I am speaking about the applicants and that my question referred to them?
The fact is that there are 7,044 persons whose claims have been rejected and who were not notified.
Will the Minister notify them now?
The machinery of the State must operate and they will be notified as quickly as possible.
Will the Minister tell the House what number of rejections the staff can handle per week, as that is a matter of very great importance?
About 200 per week.