§ MR. FLYNNI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Deputy Inspector General of the Royal Irish Constabulary applied for and received from the Cork Borough Council a sum of £137 for extra constabulary employed during the recent city election; will he explain why, although this election was carried out in the most peaceable and orderly manner, the extra police were drafted into the city; also, why the Cork Corporation were not consulted with regard to bringing them in.
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe amount claimed from and paid by the Cork Borough Council in respect of the extra constabulary employed on the occasion referred to was £68 18s. 6d. The election involved considerable local excitement, and it became necessary to augment the ordinary force of the city, which is not adequate to discharge abnormal duties on occasions of this kind. It has not been the practice to consult the Corporation in such matters. I may remind the hon. Member that the ordinary police work of Cork is performed entirely free to local rates.
§ MR. WYNDHAMwas understood to reply that the Constabulary authorities usually increased the force in times of excitement without consulting the local authorities, as they were responsible for the maintenance of order.
§ * MR. O'DOHERTYinquired how it happened to be the fact that Londonderry and Belfast alone, of all the other Irish cities, had to contribute towards maintenance of the ordinary police force, but the Speaker ruled it out of order.