asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware that the Gort Pension Committee, at their meeting on the 7th August last, awarded an old age pension to Catherine Ward, Gort; whether the evidence of age submitted consisted of a baptismal certificate of her younger sister, who would be then 68½ years of age, together with a certificate showing that the applicant made her First Communion on the 15th August, 1861, and in view of this evidence whether he will state on what grounds the Ministry determined, on the 9th January last, that she was not entitled to any pension.
WRITTEN ANSWERS. - GORT PENSION COMMITTEE AWARD.
The Gort Pension SubCommittee, on the 16th August, 1922, allowed an old age pension of 10s. a week to Mrs. Catherine Ward, and again on the 7th August, 1923. Appeals were lodged on both occasions on the ground of insufficient proof of age, and the appeals were decided against the claimant
Her baptismal certificate was not produced, and she was recorded as 23 years old at her marriage on the 25th January, 1879.
The certificate of the baptism on the 26th January, 1855, of a sister named Mary, stated to be younger than claimant, was produced, but there was no evidence in support of the statement. A First Communion Card of claimant was also submitted, but so far as can be ascertained there was no rule in the Diocese fixing 10 years as the minimum age at which a child could be admitted to First Communion.
On consideration of all the facts, it was held that the evidence did not establish that the claimant was 70 years old and eligible on age for the old age pension.