asked the Minister for Defence if he will state what is the maximum and minimum pension paid under (a) Military Service Pensions Act, 1924, and (b) Military Service Pensions Act, 1934.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Military Service Pensions.
The maximum pension payable under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1924, and the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934, is £350 per annum in the case of each Act. The minimum pension payable under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1924, is £2 15s. 1d. per annum, while under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934, the minimum pension is £2 17s. 1d. per annum.
asked the Minister for Defence whether he will state the total number of meetings held from the 1st May, 1943, to a current date by the Advisory Committee to the Referee under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934, to assess or complete applications for pensions; also the number of (a) old applications, (b) new applications, and (c) appeal cases which have been finally determined during the same period; and whether, with a view to freeing voluntary verification officers from this type of work, in which most of them have been engaged over an unduly prolonged period, he will take steps to expedite the determination of the remaining cases; and, if so, he will indicate what steps he proposes to take for this purpose, and whether he will indicate an approximate date when it is hoped to have all outstanding cases determined.
The total number of meetings held by the Advisory Committee to assess or complete applications from military service pensioners from 1st May, 1943, to 31st January, 1944, was 58. During the same period the Referee reported on (a) 51 applications received in the office of the Referee prior to 1st May, 1943; (b) 87 applications; and (c) 151 appeal cases received between 1st May, 1943, and 31st January, 1944. It is now proposed that the Referee and Advisory Committee will carry out their functions on a full-time basis and steps have been taken towards that end. It is not anticipated that there will be any claims outstanding at the end of the year.
asked the Minister for Defence if he is aware that there are still a number of men who participated in the 1916 Easter Week Insurrection in Enniscorthy who have been refused a pension, that many of these men suffered internment and had service identical with the services of those who have already received acknowledgment; and, if so, whether he will now reopen the cases of the following:—Christopher Smyth, Friary Hill; Eugene Devereux, Rafter Street; Patrick Fitzpatrick, St. John's Villas; James Dwyer, John Street; Thomas Condon, St. John's Villas; John Doyle, Fair View Terrace; Nicholas Hendrick, Weafer Street; Patrick Keane, St. John's Villas; Richard O'Rourke, St. Aidan's Villas; Matthew Sheridan, Weafer Street; Joseph Walshe, Lymington Road; Patrick Walshe, Court Street; Patrick Begley, Court Street; James Murphy, John Street; William Coady, Shannon; Laurence Leacy, John Street; Aidan O'Neill, Shannon; Frank Conway, Shannon; James Balfe, Shannon; John Balfe, Shannon; John Kehoe, Drumgoold; Patrick O'Neill, Drumgoold; James Willes, Rectory Road; Edward Hawkins, Rectory Road; Sylvester Murphy, Ferns; Joseph Hyland, Harrow; Thomas Quigly, Harrow; John Courteney, Kilcotty; Thomas Devereux, Kilcotty; Daniel Doyle, John's Villas; William O'Rourke, Coolnahane; Robert O'Connor, Shannon; William Cooney, Ross Road; Edward Donegan, Cathedral Street; John Doyle, Ferns; James Owens, Ballycarney; John Hearne, Court Street; Marks Colfer, John's Villas; Joseph Forrestal, Ballindaggin; Thomas Rafter, Ballindaggin.
I am aware that a number of men who claimed to have participated in the Insurrection in Enniscorthy in Easter Week, 1916, have been refused certificates of military service. The applications for certificates from claimants in this area were determined on the evidence offered to the Referee in each case. The verifying officers nominated for the purpose attended several times before the Referee to give evidence on the claims and I am satisfied that in admitting some claims and rejecting others the Referce found that the services rendered were not identical. The findings of the Referee are final, conclusive and binding. It is, however, open to any applicant to submit additional evidence which was not previously available. If evidence so tendered by any person or persons conforms with the relevant section of the Act, such applications can be referred back to the Referee for review.