§ MR. SLOAN (Belfast, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether it is a recognised practice in the public service to require an official, whose attendance through ill-health or otherwise has been irregular, to place his resignation in the hands of his superior or head of his department, such resignation being held over for an indefinite period, and accepted or rejected as the heads of such departments may deem expedient; whether he will cause inquiry to be made if such a practice obtains in the Congested Districts Board; and if he is aware that in one case a resignation so obtained was acted upon after the lapse of several months from its receipt; and the official concerned compulsorily retired without medical examination; whether there are similar resignations at present in the hauls of the Secretary of the Congested 1192 Districts Board; and, if so, can he give particulars.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) I am not aware whether there is a recognised practice in the public service to the effect slated in the Question. In the particular case alluded to, the Congested Districts Board adopted the course which they considered to be the most lenient towards the officer in question, having regard to the fact that he had become most inefficient owing to repeated absences from duty, only partly accounted for by sickness, during a period of more than six years. When called upon to send in his resignation this officer was informed that it would be acted upon if there were any recurrence of default in the discharge of his duties. During the succeeding nine months his attendance was more irregular than before, and the Board decided that they could not retain him in their service. It was open to this officer to retire on the ground of ill-health if he could have furnished a medical certificate showing that his health prevented the proper discharge of his duties. In another case 1193 the Board have had to require an officer of similar rank to send in his resignation.