§ Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he will state how many days the sergeants and constables drafted into county Meath from the reserve in the year 1908 remained in that county?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe force in question remained in the county of Meath from 4th August to 3rd October, 1908.
§ Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, if the same rate of reduction was applied to the police force in the county of Meath as was applied to the counties of Carlow, Cork, Kerry, and Limerick, from which it received drafts in the year 1907, the county would be entitled to a free force greater than that allotted to it, together with the drafts from other counties
The HON. MEMBERfurther asked whether, if in the last redistribution of the police force the same ratio of reduction w as applied to the county of Meath as to the other counties of Ireland, excluding cities, taken as a whole, the county of Meath would be entitled to what is known as a free force of 233 men, which is in excess of the free force in the county, the drafts from other counties, and the reserve combined, which only amounted in the year 1908 to 222 men; and whether, having regard to the fact that Meath was exceptionally treated by being subjected to a greater reduction in its free quota than the rest of Ireland, the Chief Secretary will inquire into the circumstances of its particular case with a view to arriving at an equitable decision as to levying the cost on the ratepayers of the county?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI will answer these two questions together. The hon. Member's calculations appear to be correct, but the statutes bearing on the subject of the redistribution of the Constabulary force do not contemplate that any common arithmetical basis should be adopted for the purpose of arriving at the free forces to be allotted to the several counties and cities. On the contrary, they provide that the number in each case shall be such as the Lord Lieutenant may consider to be required. That principle was uniformly adopted at the last triennial revision, and the county of Meath was then assigned the free force which it required. The case of that county does not call for any inquiry.
§ Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he will state 189W how many days the police drafted into county Meath in the year 1908 from the counties of Carlow, Cork, Kerry, and Limerick respectively, remained in the county of Meath; whether, having regard to the fact that they were sent to replace men who were drafted out of the county in the same year, they can fairly be regarded as extra police; whether, when police are required for two successive years, they should be regarded as part of the normal force necessary for the preservation of the law; and whether, as section 6 of the 11 and 12 Vic., c. 72, only authorises the Inspector-General, with the authority of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, to charge the county with men temporarily sent and gives no authority to charge the county for men necessary for the normal force for the county, he will abandon the idea of charging the county council of Meath with the cost of alleged extra police?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIt would not be possible for me to state within the limits of an oral reply the number of days during which each of the sergeants and constables referred to in the question remained in Meath. The detachments in question were not sent to replace men drafted out of the free force of the county, but were in excess of that force. There is no power to vary the free quota of a county except triennially, and any men in excess of such quota required in a county in the interval between the distributions are charged for under Statute.