asked the Minister for Defence if he will state whether a decision has yet been arrived at on the application for a disability pension under the Army Pensions Act which has been submitted by Mr. Christopher Sheridan, Clonmoyle, Rathangan, County Kildare.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Disability Pensions.
A decision has not yet been reached on Mr. Sheridan's application. He has, however, been summoned to appear before the Army Pensions Board for medical examination.
asked the Minister for Defence if he is aware that Mr. Pierce Bolger of Doon, Boyle, County Roscommon, was in receipt of a military disablement pension; that he has been deprived of this pension on the plea that his disablement was not 50 per cent.; that notwithstanding this decision the man is in fact totally disabled and unable to work; that his wife and six children have very limited means on which to exist; and if the Minister is prepared to reconsider his decision in view of the hardship inflicted on this man and his evident total disablement.
I am aware that Mr. Bolger was in receipt of a disability pension under the Army Pensions Act, 1932, which ceased on the 28th February, 1937, when on re-examination his degree of disablement was found by the Army Pensions Board to have dropped below 80 per cent., the minimum required for the continuance of pension. On the 14th October, 1937, Mr. Bolger submitted a claim for a pension under Section 26 (2) of the Army Pensions Act, 1937. He was examined by the Army Pensions Board, who found that his disability was below the minimum, 50 per cent., required for the grant of a pension under that section. No award could, therefore, be made to him. These decisions are in accordance with the terms of the Act and cannot, therefore, be reconsidered.
Mr. Brennan
Is the Minister aware that this man is completely incapacitated at the moment as a result of what he went through at that time, and would he be prepared to accept the evidence of independent doctors with regard to this man's condition at the present time?
We did get an independent doctor to go into this case specially, and, in addition, in order to ensure that we were not doing anything unjust, we had an x-ray examination made. The x-ray did not show any sign of disease.