§ Mr. KINGasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he is aware that members of the Royal Irish Constabulary who have married without permission are treated in all respects as if unmarried; that their marriages are not officially recognised or registered at headquarters; that they are not exempted from a deduction of 1s. per week for barrack accommodation although living out of barracks; that they are not paid the lodging allowance of £5 4s. per annum, the usual separation allowance for absence on duty, nor the transfer expenses of their families; and that the widow or children are not entitled to a pension or gratuity under the constabulary regulations; whether it is still considered necessary to inflict such a penalty for this offence, which could be met by one fine or unfavourable record; whether he is aware that the Inspector-General is not empowered to consider the special circumstances of those under ten-years' service, and that many men are paying this penalty for years; and whether, in view of the cost of living and house rent, the scale of pay in the Royal Irish Constabulary, and the necessity that exists for assisting married men to bring up families, he will inflict a fine in such cases and then grant these men the position of men who marry with permission.
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§ Mr. SAMUELSMembers of the Royal Irish Constabulary who marry without the previous permission of their authorities are, in addition to any disciplinary punishment which may be imposed by the Inspector-General, subject to the disabilities set forth in the question. Up to 1st October, 1914, these disabilities remained attached to the men concerned during their entire service in the force, but, on the recommendation of a Committee of Inquiry in 1914, it was made a regulation of the force that from the date mentioned, when a man who has married without permission has completed ten years' service, the Inspector-General may, if he sees fit, specially sanction the official recognition of the marriage, thereby removing the disabilities referred to, provided that this course would not be injurious to the interests of the public service. The Inspector-General is of opinion that any relaxation of this regulation would be injurious to the interests of the public service.