asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will reconsider the application for a contributory old age pension received from a person (name supplied) in County Dublin, which has been refused by his Department.

One of the statutory conditions for receipt of an old age (contributary) pension is that the claimant must have a prescribed average number of contributions paid or credited per contribution year. A Deciding Officer decided that the person named did not satisfy this contribution condition and his decision was upheld by an appeals officer. The decision of the appeals officer is final in the absence of new evidence or facts. I have, however, arranged for further enquiries to be made in the case and I will have the claim reviewed in the light of the outcome of these enquiries.