§ DR. TANNER (Cork Co., Mid)I beg to ask the Attorney General for Ireland if it is a fact that it is proposed to arrange that Irish Resident Magistrates who have previously served in the Royal Irish Constabulary are to be allowed to reckon their service in the Constabulary in their claim for pension as Magistrates; and in what respects the granting of pensions in the case of such Irish Magistrates differs from the course pursued in the granting of pensions to Magistrates in England, Scotland, and Wales?
§ MR. MADDENOwing to a defect in the law, public officials transferred from any Service in the United Kingdom having a special Pension Code of its own to a Service pensionable under the Superannuation Act of 1859 forfeit their previous service, and it is proposed to 1016 remedy this injustice by amending legislation. The proposed legislation would secure for Irish Resident Magistrates their previous service in the Royal Irish Constabulary in cases where appointments were made from that body. I have no official cognizance of the matter referred to in the second paragraph; but if there are any such Magistrates whose pensions are governed by the Superannuation Act of 1859, and if they have previous continuous service in any branch of the Public Service with a special Pension Code, they are in precisely the same position as the Irish Resident Magistrates who have been transferred from service in the Royal Irish Constabulary.
§ DR. TANNERAre the pensions to be merely for the benefit of Government minions?
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!