§ MR. HARRINGTONasked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether it is the fact that there is in force a Treasury Minute, by which permanent clerks in the office of the Registrar General, Dublin, are rendered ineligible to do the class of work allotted to task writers; whether, nevertheless, for some years past this class of work has been wholly or most wholly given to the permanent clerks in the office, and the task writers have been thereby deprived of employment and support, after some of them had served the department for many years; and, whether, if this be the 423 state of the case, any steps will be taken to amend it?
§ MR. COURTNEYSir, I have looked into this question, and have received a Report upon it from the Registrar General. The Treasury Minute to which the hon. Member appears to refer, was a direction given in 1876, that piece work should be given as little as possible to the established clerks. I have satisfied myself that this direction has been carried out, and the so-called task writers have been benefited thereby.