§ MR. HARRINGTON (Dublin, Harbour)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that, in February last, Miss Keogh, a teacher in the North Dublin Union, received notice from the Board of Guardians of their intention to retire her on pension in the month of March, though she had not been more than 20 years in the service; whether the Local Government Board for Ireland informed the Guardians that they had no power to remove an officer in Miss Keogh's position except under the provisions of the Statute for abolition of office; whether the Guardians thereupon informed the Local Government Board that they had abolished the office which Miss Keogh held, and proceeded to vote her a pension less than two-thirds of her salary and emoluments, which she refused to accept; whether he is aware that the Guardians appointed another teacher in Miss Keogh's place, and did not at all abolish the office; and, if so, whether he will allow the Local Government Board to sanction this mode of dismissing an officer from the Public Service against whom no complaint has been alleged; and whether he will see that she is either restored to her position or allowed a retiring allowance equal to two-thirds of her salary?
THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. J. MORLEY, Newcastle-upon-Tyne)I understand that the facts are generally as stated in the first three paragraphs of the question. The Guardians informed the Local Government Board that the office held by Miss Keogh had been abolished by the reconstruction and re-arrangement of the teaching staff, by which the children would in future be placed under the care of the Nuns; and the Board thereupon issued their consent to the payment of the pension of £52 per annum which had been awarded to Miss Keogh by the Guardians. The pension awarded is less than two-thirds of her salary and emoluments; but there 331 was no obligation on the Guardians to grant the maximum pension authorised by law.