§ 3. Mr. VIANTasked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that the staffs employed in his Ministry in the Irish Free State are paid a cost-of-living bonus based upon the Ministry of Labour cost of living as determined for Great Britain; whether he is aware that the official cost-of-living figure for the Irish Free State is in excess of that fixed by the Ministry of Labour for this country; and whether he will cause a revision to be made in the salaries payable to the staffs employed in his Ministry in the Irish Free State so as to secure for them compensation in respect of the increased cost of living in the country in which they reside?
§ Major TRYONThe answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative, but I am not prepared to accept without question the inference, if such is intended, that the employés of the Ministry of Pensions in Dublin are underpaid by reference to standards of remuneration of public servants in the employ of the Irish Free State. I am satisfied that no ground for a revision of their terms of remuneration has arisen, but, in any case, I should not be prepared to institute special local revisions of Civil Service scales of salaries and wages which have been determined in accordance with agreements which were designed to be of general application.