§ Mr. LARDNER (on behalf of Mr. Kettle)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that in the province of Ulster there is no Catholic holding the position of county court judge, although Catholics form a majority of the population; whether he is aware that in the county Tyrone, where there is at present a vacancy in the county court judgeship, the population of Catholics exceeds the total of all other denominations; and whether these facts will be taken into consideration in filling the appointment?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIt is not the fact that in Ulster there is no Catholic holding the position of county court judge. The vacancy to which the hon. Member refers has been filled after taking account of all the circumstances necessary to be considered in such cases.
§ Mr. LARDNERMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman when the county of Leitrim was added to the province of Ulster? Is it not the fact that in the counties which comprise the North-East Circuit there is not a single Roman 904 Catholic judge, although 45 per cent, of the population are Catholics, while, at the same time, the remaining 55 per cent, hold 87 per cent, of the judicial appointments in the province of Ulster?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI do not pretend to know. I was told that Mr. Drummond is the only county court judge who is a Catholic, but whether that is so or not I am not in a position to say. So far as I have any control over judicial appointments, I cannot undertake to consider the religion of the applicant.
§ Mr. LARDNERMay I ask if we are to understand that being a member of the Roman Catholic faith is to be a bar to being a. county court judge in the North of Ireland?
§ Mr. BIRRELLCertainly not.