§ MR. CONYBEAREI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland what is the number of warders that constitutes a complete staff in each of the three classes into which the ordinary prisons of Ireland are divided; whether the staff in all classes have to do the same duty, and observe the same hours; what is the average number of hours per week each warder in each class of prison has to work; how often has a warder in each class to do night duty per month; how many holidays or half-holidays (exclusive of half-days before and after night duty) a warder gets in a month; is a warder ever entitled to a holiday except on the recommendation of the Governor; if the staff of a prison is reduced, owing to sickness or from 1144 any other cause, must the other warders in the prison do the duty of the absent warder or warders; do the warders performing such extra duty get any extra pay; and have old-service warders been deprived, by a Minute of the Treasury, of the pension they were entitled to as prevailing at the time they entered the Service?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe General Prisons Board report that the number of warders is not uniform in any class of prisons, but is regulated under Treasury sanction, according to the circumstances of each prison. The duties and hours of the staffs of the different prisons necessarily vary considerably according to circumstances. The average number of hours of actual duty per week may be taken to be about 82 in the larger prisons. In small prisons, where the staffs are limited, these hours are sometimes necessarily exceeded, but in these cases the general duties are of a much lighter character. In most prisons night duty is taken by each warder about three or four times in the month. In most prisons the warders get a half-holiday on every second Sunday and prison holiday. No holidays are granted, except on special application, but each warder is entitled to 14 days' annual leave. When the staff of a prison is temporarily reduced owing to the sickness of a warder or other cause, sometimes the other warders of the prison are required to do the duty of the absent warder; in other cases extra assistance is supplied, if possible, from another prison. There is no provision enabling the Board to give extra pay in such cases. The Board are not aware what Treasury Minute is referred to; but the Prisons Act of 1877 (section 27) provides that old prison officers shall hold their offices on like terms and tenure as before the Act.
§ MR. CONYBEAREHave not many warders refused the half-holidays because they had to wear uniform?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have no such information.
§ MR. MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)Is it not the fact that before the right hon. Gentleman took office warders were allowed to spend their holidays out of uniform?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIt may be so, but I have had nothing to do with it.