To ask the Minister for Defence if he can state the number of applications for dependents' allowances received from the County of Mayo, the number of applications dealt with, and when the balance will be investigated, and if he is aware that considerable privation exists in several families through the delay of the Army Department concerned in paying their allowances.

347 applications have been received, and the number fully dealt with is 139. The delay in dealing with the balance is due to the difficulties of local investigation in Mayo, but those difficulties are rapidly disappearing.