§ Mr. HAZLETONasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland how much is allowed to Royal Irish Constabulary officers for the upkeep of a horse; what steps are taken by the Royal Irish Constabulary authorities to ensure that each officer actually owns a horse; whether he is aware if District-Inspector Rogers, of Enniscorthy, is at present possessed of a horse; if not, how long has he been without one; whether he performs all his inspections by bicycle; and whether he has been drawing horse allowance while having no horse?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Inspector-General of the Royal Irish Constabulary informs me that forage allowance of £50 per annum is granted to each officer of the force for the upkeep of a horse. Each officer is required by the regulations to have one effective horse, and the above allowance is not paid for any period during which an officer is not possessed of a horse. Each officer is also required to give a stringent certificate that he had an effective horse during each period for which he draws the allowance. The regulations also require officers to perform a certain amount of duty on horseback each quarter, and county inspectors are obliged to state in 1239W the quarterly reports to the Inspector-General the number of turns of horseback duty performed by their officers during the quarter. District-Inspector Rogers is at present possessed of an effective horse. He performs his inspections either on foot or by bicycle or by car. Officers are not required to do more than an occasional turn of inspection duty on horseback.