asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state the number of persons in receipt of the old age pension in the Co. Mayo on April 1st, 1923, and on April 1st, 1924, and the amount paid to old age pensioners in said county from January 1st, 1923, until April 1st, 1923, and from January 1st, 1924, until April 1st, 1924; further, whether he is aware that the pension has been discontinued in the case of a large number of old age pensioners within the county, and whether he is aware that as a result the outdoor relief has been more than doubled in the county for the past four months.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - OLD AGE PENSIONERS IN CO. MAYO.
I will answer this question. I regret that I am unable to furnish the Deputy with the figures asked for in the first part of the question, as particulars of the numbers of pensioners and the amounts paid in pensions are not now kept for separate counties. As regards the second part of the question I have no information as to the exact number of pensions recently withdrawn within County Mayo, but I am assured that the number is not abnormally large. I may explain that an old age pension is not withdrawn unless it is shown to the satisfaction of the Pension Authorities that the recipient is no longer entitled to it.
As regards the third part of the question I cannot agree that the discontinuance of such pension is the cause of the increase in the amount spent in outdoor relief in the county during the past four months.