§ CAPTAIN DONELANI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that on Wednesday last the County Cork Grand Jury awarded constable Thomas Deevy, Royal Irish Constabulary, £400 compensation to be levied upon the county for injuries sustained to a finger while acting in his capacity as peace officer; whether ratepayers in England are compelled to compensate police constables who may receive injuries in the discharge of their duties; and whether steps will be taken to relieve Irish ratepayers from a burden which is not placed upon English ratepayers?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURIt is true that the Cork Grand Jury have unanimously awarded a sum of £400 to the constable named, as compensation for injuries sustained by him whilst acting in the discharge of his duty. It is, of course, open to the ratepayers to traverse the award before the judge of assize, and as the assize is still proceeding it would be obviously improper to discuss the matter at the present stage. I believe there is no power to award, similar compensation to police in England. I have no information as to the second paragraph. As to the third paragraph, I may remind the honourable and gallant Gentleman that it is proposed by Amendments passed in the Local Government Bill without a Division to extend the power to grant compensation to police officers for malicious injuries inflicted in the discharge of their duty to the cities of Dublin and Belfast, which were the only parts of Ireland in which such com- 86 pensation could not hitherto be obtained. It is not proposed to deprive the Irish police of this power.
§ CAPTAIN DONELANWhy are the Irish ratepayers saddled with a burden which is not placed on the English ratepayers?
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