Mr. NUGENTasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, during portion of the month of October and during the month of December last. Constable William Harpur, Dublin Metropolitan Police, Dalkey Sation, was supposed to be specially employed as a plain-clothes officer on cycling duty during the night with a view to the prevention of burglaries; whether this constable received a special allowance of 27s. 6d. for this duty; if he is aware that, to the knowledge of the superintendent, the constable spent his hours of duty in St. Patrick's Club, Dalkey, and that he became such a source of annoyance to the members that he had to be finally removed from the club; if he is aware that a number of burglaries were committed in this district during the month of October; if he will state the reason for the special treatment accorded this constable and why he was allowed to spend his hours of duty in a club; and if he will state how many burglaries have been committed in the F Division district of the Dublin Metropolitan Police during the year 1917, and in how many cases have the offenders been brought to justice?
§ Mr. DUKEConstable Harpur was employed on special duty in Dalkey during the months of October and December, 1917, and received a special allowance of 27s. 6d. per month for plain clothes and use of bicycle. I am informed that the imputations against him in the question are wholly untrue. There were several eases of burglary and housebreaking in the 2155W early part of the year, but by the action of the police normal conditions appear now to have been restored.