§ MR. HOOPER (Cork, S.E.) (for Mr. MAURICE HEALY) (Cork)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the case of ex-Sergeant Michael Cronin, late of the Royal Irish Constabulary; whether Cronin served nearly 28 years in the Force, and was sergeant for 11 years, his record during the whole period being unimpeachable; whether, in July, 1886, he was called on by the Inspector General to retire from the Service, owing to an injury to his wrist sustained while on duty in February, 1886; whether he was recommended to the Treasury for a pension of £60 a-year, a Medical Board of three doctors having certified that the injury to his wrist should be considered in his retiring allowance; whether, acting on the opinion of one doctor who was attending Sergeant Cronin, the Treasury came to the conclusion that his retirement was owing to his general state of health, and not specially to the accident to his wrist, and only granted a pension of £54 12s., an amount to which he had become entitled by service nearly three years ago; whether his pension would have been £72 a-year after another two years' service; and whether there is any doubt that he could have served a much longer period than this but for the accident; 61 whether Sergeant Cronin has since obtained medical certificates from four doctors, showing that, apart from the accident, his health was good and likely to continue so, and has offered to submit himself for examination to any doctor who may be selected; whether, in any case under the Constabulary Acts, his service might, for the purposes of pension, have been computed at 30 years, he having been compulsorily retired; and, whether, having regard to Sergeant Cronin's excellent record, and the fact that he has eight young children dependent upon him, his case will be reconsidered, with a view to having his pension increased to the amount recommended by the Pensions Board?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.), in reply, said, that the retirement of Sergeant Cronin became necessary owing to his having been reported unfit for public service, because he was suffering from chronic bronchitis in addition to an injury to his right wrist. The pension awarded him was in accordance with the Rules of the Service The Medical Board had Reported that if Cronin were again placed on active service the bronchitis would again appear.