§ THE EARL OF DONOUGHMORE had given Notice to ask His Majesty's Government if they will state the amounts of the pensions or gratuities, and also of any grant or grants on disbandment to which officers and men of each rank in the Royal Irish Constabulary are now entitled, and how far these amounts will be charged to Imperial and how far to Irish funds.
§ The noble Earl said: My Lords, I do not desire to raise any discussion on this subject this afternoon. Indeed, I would have starred my Question, indicating that I had no such intention, but for the fact that I desired to mention to your Lordships that the matter is one which has raised a good deal of interest, not to say anxiety, throughout the Royal Irish Constabulary, who are the people concerned. We were anxious to raise a debate upon the whole subject of the terms of disbandment, which have not by any means given satisfaction to a loyal and splendid force, but we felt that the facts should he fully before us before we did so. For this reason I put the Question which stands in my name.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDMy Lords, the terms on which the Royal Irish Constabulary will be disbanded are set out in detail in a Paper (Cmd. 1618) presented to Parliament on Thursday last. In addition to the terms set out in the Paper, it has since been decided that, during the next three months, separation allowance at the rate of 14s. and 28s. per week shall be granted respectively to any man or officer of the Force whose home is outside Northern Ireland, and who goes to Great Britain and leaves his family 132 in Ireland. It is hoped that this grant, in addition to the disturbance allowance and free travelling allowance already provided for, will enable every member of the Force who may be in danger if he returns to his home to avoid such danger.
As regards the incidence of the cost of these terms, under Article 10 of the Treaty the total cost of compensation allowances payable to members of the Force, except those payable in respect of members of the Force recruited in Great Britain during the two years preceding the date of the Treaty, and except those payable in respect of such proportion of the Force as were stationed at the date of disbandment within the area of the Northern Government, will be recovered from the Free State Government, while, as regards compensation allowances payable in respect of such proportion of the Force as were stationed within the area of the Government of Northern Ireland, it has been agreed that that Government will repay to the Imperial Government so much of the cost as they would have been required to pay had the provisions of the Government of Ireland Act, 1920, relating to the R.I.C. remained in force.
The compensation allowance payable to members of the Force recruited in Great Britain during the two years preceding the date of the Treaty, as well as the disturbance allowances, travelling expenses and separation allowances payable to the Force on disbandment, and also so much of the compensation allowances payable in respect of those members of the Force stationed within the area of the Government of Northern Ireland as that Government would not have been required to pay had the provisions of the Government of Ireland Act, 1920, relating to the Royal Irish Constabulary, remained in force, will be payable by the Imperial Government.
THE EARL OF DESARTMay I ask the noble Earl whether the Command Paper to which he has referred will be circulated without application? I have not seen it up to the present.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDI am informed by the Clerk of the Parliaments that this document will be circulated to your Lordships without application.
THE EARL OF DESART; Will the reply which the noble Earl has given also be circulated as a Command Paper?
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDI am afraid not, because a Command Paper is already printed and is in circulation. My reply will appear in the OFFICIAL REPORT tomorrow, and I think it would be a pity to have to recall the Command Paper in order to make this addition.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, perhaps I did not fully understand what the noble Earl said, but I gathered that certain payments which are to be due to the disbanded Constabulary will be recoverable from the Free State Government by members of the Royal Irish Constabulary enlisted earlier than two years ago. I am not quite sure of the meaning of the noble Earl's phrase. Does it mean that this money can be recovered by the Imperial Government, or does it refer to the man himself? If it is to be recovered by the man himself, I am afraid it is not certain that he will ever get it. The question is whether, in the first instance, the Imperial Government will hold thems elves responsible for all these payments. If that is so, then by all means let them recover from the Free State what; the Free State ought to pay under the Treaty.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDMy Lords, I appreciate what Lord Salisbury says, but I hesitate to construe the words, because, as your Lordships may have observed, the phrase I used was somewhat complicated and lengthy. I fancy, however—I put it no higher than that—that it is the duty of the British Government to recover in the adjustment of finance that takes place between the Royal Irish Constabulary and the Free State Government. I will make inquiry, however, and communicate directly with Lord Salisbury upon the subject.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYI am very much obliged to the noble Earl.