§ MR. HEALY (for Mr. DAWSON)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether sec. 10 of the Act 26 and 27 Vic. permits appointment of assistant in case of illness or absence of the Registrar General, Dublin; and, whether the Registrar General has been ill or absent during assumption by secretary of the title of Assistant Registrar General?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, the section mentioned in the Question empowers the Registrar General to appoint a fit person to act as his assistant in case of his illness or absence. It does not require him to wait until he is ill or absent to make the appointment, or to renew it on each occasion when the services of the deputy are required. Such a construction of the section would be not only contrary to the view of its 1041 meaning hitherto adopted, but would be highly inconvenient to the Public Service. The present Registrar General has been occasionally absent for brief periods. On such occasions his duly appointed assistant has acted for him. The Registrar General informs me that no unauthorized use has been made of the title.