§ MR. SHEEHY (Galway, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware that the state of the Registry of Deeds Office (Ireland), owing to increased business and a diminished staff, is such as to cause serious inconvenience to the public, and if the annual official leave of absence has been in consequence curtailed and postponed; whether the Registrar's urgent requests for the necessary addition to the staff, in order to finish the Consolidated Indexes for public use, and work off arrears, have been refused; and whether he will now take steps either to adequately increase the staff, or to apply the seven hours' scheme of attendance?
§ SIR H. MAXWELLThere has been no increase in the business of the Department, and the staff is in excess of the proper number. It is not proposed, therefore, to sanction any addition to the staff. The question of applying the seven hours' scheme to the Office is under consideration.
§ MR. SEXTON (Belfast, W.)Will the hon. Gentleman lay on the Table a copy of the Report of the Registrar in which he states that an addition to the staff is necessary?
§ SIR H. MAXWELLI will consider the matter.