HC Deb 17 May 1909 vol 5 cc186-7W
Mr. HAZLETON

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, during the period when Mr. Ball acted as county inspector of Kildare, a sergeant and a constable of the 'Royal Irish Constabulary were dismissed for misappropriating 10½d. for car hire; and, if so, why such punishment should be meted out to the rank and file, seeing that District Inspector Rogers is merely being reprimanded for misappropriating nearly; £40 for forage allowance?

Mr. BIRRELL

The Inspector-General of the Royal Irish Constabulary informs me that a sergeant of the Kildare force was discharged in 1900 for furnishing a false voucher in support of a fraudulent claim for repayment of car hire falsely stated to have been expended on public duty. District Inspector Rogers was not reprimanded for misappropriating public funds, but for not having reported that he had no horse at his headquarters while continuing to draw forage allowance. He appears to the Inspector-General to have thought that he was entitled to draw the allowance while he possessed an effective horse and performed the requisite duties on another horse while his own was away. He should have known that this was not permissible, and he has therefore been directed to refund the amount of the forage allowance drawn by him while his horse was improperly away from his station.

Mr. HAZLETON

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether any complaints were made to the Inspector-General as to the inefficient policing of Enniscorthy during the nine months that the officer's horse was working at that gentleman's farm in Kildare; whether either the county inspector or the Inspector-General were aware of the animal's absence; and, if horses are not necessary for the efficient performance of police duty, whether the Government will consider the advisability of abolishing them as part of an officer's equipment?

Mr. BIRRELL

No complaints as to the inefficient policing of Enniscorthy during the period referred to were made to the Inspector-General. Neither he nor the county inspector were aware of the absence of the district inspector's horse. The Inspector-General considers that officers of the force could not be deprived of their horses without detriment to the public service.