asked the Minister for Local Government if he will define what steps claimants for old age pensions are to take who have been unable to procure baptismal certificates, as the sworn affidavits of responsible people have in several cases recently been treated as insufficient evidence of age?
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - OLD AGE PENSION CLAIMANTS WITHOUT BAPTISMAL CERTIFICATES.
I would refer the Deputy to the reply given to Deputy Seamus MacCosgair in answer to his question of the 23rd November last on this subject. I shall hand him a copy of it.
It was pointed out therein that when the baptismal certificate of a claimant was not available, affidavits from persons of standing were accepted as alternative proof. The affidavits should, however, give in detail the grounds for opinions expressed and statements made therein, and should set forth relevant facts bearing on the life history of the claimant, such as date of marriage of his parents, and his own position amongst the children, especially as compared with a brother or sister whose age has been established.
An affidavit in which the deponent merely states that in his opinion the claimant is 70 years old is not of much assistance towards establishing age, and that fact should be impressed on claimants.