asked the Minister for Finance whether he can state (a) the number of persons under 70 years of age who are in receipt (i) of pensions under the Military Service Pensions Acts, 1924 to 1925, and the Army Pensions Acts, 1923 to 1927; (ii) of Civil Service pensions, whether granted before or after the Treaty; (iii) of ex-R.I.C. pensions, and (b) the total number of persons under 70 years of age in receipt of pensions for which the Saorstát is liable, and the total amount of money required to pay those pensions in the coming financial year.

I am not in a position to state how many of the pensioners paid from Saorstát funds are under 70 years of age, and the ascertainment of such figures would require an expenditure of time and labour in making inquiries which, I am afraid, would be out of all proportion to the value of the information sought.

Will the Minister say whether the old age pensioners or pensioners who are young and able-bodied are the greater?

The Deputy can find the total from the estimates—the total pension charges that are payable, and he can perhaps make an estimate in regard to the number of recipients over 70.