§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether the rural postmen in Ireland are to get the increase of pay recommended by the Tweedmouth Commission; what is the amount of the rise and when is it to be paid; and could he state to the House what is the maximum and minimum scale of pay for head office postmen and sub-office men respectively?
§ MR. HANBURYSpeaking generally, the rural postmen in Ireland have already been granted the increase of pay recommended by the Tweedmouth Committee. The amount of the rise varies according to locality and duties, and it is payable (if not already paid) as from the 1st April, 1897. The scale of pay of rural postmen working from head offices and sub-offices varies with the scale of pay of the town postmen working from those offices, the maximum being in each case 2s. a week less than the maximum payable to town postmen. In Ireland the highest scale in force for rural postmen is for those working from Dublin 18s., rising by 1s. 6d. to 28s. a week; the lowest scale in force is 16s., rising by 1s. 6d. to 20s. a week.