§ Mr. FETHERSTONHAUGHasked the Chief Secretary if he is aware that instructions have been issued to the members of the Royal Irish Constabulary engaged in the collection of agricultural statistics in county Fermanagh to the effect that no subsistence allowance will be paid for over eight hours' continuous duty when this duty is performed in town-lands within a two-mile radius of the enumerator's barrack, or for townlands outside the two-mile radius when done in conjunction with townlands within the two-mile radius; have similar instructions been issued in other counties in Ireland, and by whose authority; who first devised the two-mile radius in connection with this or similar duties discharged by the Royal Irish Constabulary; is there any provision in the Constabulary Code or Finance Code to support the issuing of those Regulations; and, as the collection of agricultural statistics is a duty requiring care and time, will orders be issued to adequately pay the enumerators as heretofore, and that the two-mile radius rule be at once abolished?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Inspector-General informs me that the instructions issued by the County Inspector of Fermanagh were given in connection with a longstanding Rule, which lays down that subsistence allowance for absence in the daytime is not granted to members of the Royal Irish Constabulary for any duty216W performed within two miles of their station. He is not aware whether similar directions have been given by any other County Inspector. The two-mile radius was fixed by the Inspector-General in 1901 after careful consideration of the point by all the headquarter's officers. The Rule is of general application and forms part of the Finance Code of the Force. It is not considered necessary to issue any fresh order on the subject.