§ MR. D. MACALEESE (Monaghan, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, with regard to the fact that within the current year ten sergeants of constabulary from the depot, and four from counties, have been drafted for service into the Belfast force, could he state how many constables of over 15 years' service are now in the Belfast force still without promotion, and how many of these have passed their qualifying examination for promotion: and will he instruct the Inspector General to withdraw the 14 sergeants referred to, in order to make room for a similar number of constables in the Belfast force qualified for advancement?
§ * Mr. GERALD BALFOURDuring the current year two sergeants and one acting sergeant were drafted into Belfast, and in their places two acting sergeants were moved out of Belfast, and another sergeant will be moved soon. Further, two constables have been specially promoted and transferred from Belfast during this month, and they will not be replaced in Belfast by two sergeants or acting sergeants. There are 193 constables of over 15 years' service in Belfast without promotion. Of these, 101 have passed the qualifying examination; but only 65 of them have been recommended by their officers for advancement. The Inspector General cannot, in the interests of the service, transfer a number of sergeants or acting sergeants from Belfast without replacing them by a like number of the same rank taken from the counties to which the former are transferred; but he is quite prepared to transfer, at public expense, on their application, according as opportunity may offer, any good senior constables who are well recommended for promotion to any county in Ireland that they may select, in which they have no connections, and where they consider their chances of promotion would be better than in Belfast.