§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether promotion in the Royal Irish Constabulary is regulated by selection exclusively, and without any regard to seniority; whether it is a fact that such promotion is entirely in the gift of County Inspectors, without the right of appeal in such cases where a constable considers he has been unjustly passed over for promotion; up to what age are constables deemed eligible for promotion to the higher grades; whether 208 the Inspector General of Constabulary, and the County Inspector of each County, fix their own standard of age for promotion; whether he will grant a Return of constables promoted to the rank of acting sergeants and up to the rank of head constables respectively within the last two years, stating their periods of service, conduct, and the different religious denominations to which they respectively belong; also the number of constables unpromoted from twelve to twenty years' service, specifying the different religious denominations to which they belong, and likewise the religion of the County Inspectors under whom they served; also the number of County Inspectors' clerks, and their religion respectively; whether it is a fact that none are allowed to undergo the examination for these clerkships except those recommended by County Inspectors; and, what is the strength of the different religious denominations of the Irish Constabulary?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY) (Newcastle-on-Tyne)Sir, these queries are rather awkwardly arranged in the Question, and I have taken the liberty of answering the paragraphs in a more convenient order than that in which they stand. I will take the first, third, and fourth paragraphs, and my answer to them is "No." It is not the fact that promotion in the Royal Irish Constabulary is regulated by selection exclusively. On the contrary, the regulations enjoin that due weight must be given to seniority; and the Inspector General informs me that he is careful to enforce this regulation. There is no limit of age for promotion. In respect to the second paragraph of the Question, I have to say that promotion is not in the gift of the County Inspectors. County and District Inspectors have the recommendation in their hands; but it rests with the Inspector General to sanction; and every man who considers himself aggrieved has the right of appeal to the latter officer—a right which I am informed is freely exercised. Candidates for the office of clerk must be recommended by their County Inspectors before they can be appointed. The Return on the subject of promotion which the hon. Member suggests would involve a considerable amount of trouble and local inquiry, and would be calculated to give rise to sectarian difficulties 209 which, happily, at present do not exist. Moreover, the Inspector General assures me that while he has no reason to suspect that sectarian or other improper feeling operates in the selection of men for promotion, he is always watchful lest, even unconsciously, any bias should be observable in the recommendations. For these reasons, I am not prepared to assent to the Returns. As regards the religious constitution of the Force generally, if the hon. Member will look at Parliamentary Paper No. 256 of Session 1880, he will see how matters stood then, and I do not suppose that any material alteration has since taken place in the relative numbers.