§ MR. WILLIAM KENNY (Dublin, St. Stephen's Green)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the case of Mr. R. M. Richardson, an officer receiving £120 a year, with a bonus of £10, in the Department of the Collector General of Rates in Dublin, who has been retired after 14 years' service, at 10 days' notice, on a superannuation allowance of £6 10s., under "The Dublin Corporation Act, 1890," while of seven officers retired under the Act five were awarded two-thirds of their salaries as retiring allowances; and if he will state on what grounds Mr. Richardson was awarded only one-twentieth of his salary and bonus; and whether he will reconsider Mr. Richardson's claim, with the view of granting him a more equitable retiring allowance?
MR. J. MORLEYI am informed that Mr. Richardson's appointment as warrant officer in the Collector General's Department is dated 8th May, 1890, and that his office was abolished from the 1st January last in consequence of the Corporation taking over from that date the collection of the municipal rates. Mr. Richardson then had but two years service towards pension, and his case was dealt with under the terms applicable to a Civil servant with less than five years pensionable service, whose office is abolished. The other officers referred to had many years of service, and were awarded two-thirds of their emoluments, because these were the terms usually awarded to officers appointed to the 221 Collector General's office as far back as they had been. Mr. Richardson, before his appointment in 1890, was in the private employment of his predecessor for 12 years. He was not during this period in any sense an officer of the Department, and whatever remuneration he received was paid to him out of the private pocket of the previous warrant officer.