44. Mr. NUGENTasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that discontent exists amongst the members of the Dublin Metropolitan Police because of the inadequacy of their present wages; whether a demand has been made by the men for an advance of 12s. per week, with an addition of 4s. per week as war bonus, to date from the commencement of the War, in order to bring the present inadequate rate of pay up to a living wage; whether he is aware that meetings of the men have been held and that feeling amongst them is very excited and irritated over this matter; whether he will state when the last increase in wages was given to the Dublin Metropolitan Police; what the income received from the Dublin police rate totalled at the time that the increase was made; what was the actual cost of maintenance of the force at that time; what the income from the police rate is to-day and what is the present outlay; whether he is aware 2061 that Major Price, ex-Royal Irish Constabulary officer and adviser of Sir John Maxwell, has put forward a scheme to bring the Dublin Metropolitan Police directly under the control of the Royal Irish Constabulary; whether he can name any city in the United Kingdom with a similar population to Dublin which has not control of its own separate police force; and if he will explain why Dublin is treated differently in this matter from any other city in the United Kingdom?
Mr. SAMUELI am glad to be able to announce that the Treasury have assented to the grant to all ranks below that of officer in the Royal Irish Constabulary and of superintendent in the Dublin Metropolitan Police of a war bonus of 3s. 6d. a week for the duration of the War, this bonus to be non-pensionable and to take effect from the 1st instant. I have no knowledge of any scheme such as that referred to in the latter part of the hon. Member's question.
Mr. NUGENTIs it a fact that an increase was only given when a strike took place among the Metropolitan police?
§ Major NEWMANMay I take it that this war bonus is in addition to the two shillings recently granted?