§ 19. Mr. O'DOWDasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the secretaries of county councils, town clerks, and clerks of urban districts in Ireland are the officials who possess the most complete information for the correct making up of the registration lists, and that these officials bring to the revision courts the information necessary for the testing and making of a correct Parliamentary and municipal record of voters; and. if so, whether, with a view of greater efficiency, he will consider the advisability of having Sub-section (3) of Clause 31 eliminated from the Representation of the People Bill and thus leave the work in the hands of the popularly elected officials of the Irish people?
§ Mr. DUKEI am well aware of the duties which secretaries of county councils, town clerks, and clerks of urban district councils discharge in connection with Parliamentary and local government registration. As the hon. Member knows, the Representation of the People Bill proposes to introduce new franchises and a new system of registration and the duties under the new system will necessarily be different from the duties under the old system, but it is intended that the officers 1116 of local authorities who have heretofore been engaged in the registration shall be employed in similar work in the future as far as may be possible. I appreciate the importance of such an arrangement, and will consider any Amendments that may be required to give effect to it. The particular Amendment suggested by the hon. Member goes much further than is necessary, as it would exclude the clerks of the peace from taking any part in registration work, although these officers have always hitherto been the principal registration officers in Ireland.
§ Mr. DEVLINIf this work is to be done by the secretaries of county councils in England, why is there a different arrangement made in Ireland?
§ Mr. DUKEI believe the arrangement in Ireland proceeds, so far as it may be, upon the footing of the pre-existing arrangement. There is naturally a good deal of sensitiveness on the part of men who have been doing official work of this kind, and for which they have been remunerated, lest they should lose the honour of the work as well as remuneration, and so far as I am concerned I shall take every possible step to see that people are not out of pocket by any change of this kind if that can be done without detriment to the public service.