§ Mr. P. MEEHANasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, if ho is aware that the new scheme of reorganisation intended to increase the pay of Irish prison warders does not assimilate 1855W the pay of those officers with that of English prison warders as sanctioned by the Treasury in April last; that the scheme imposes fresh hardships on the married officers of the service by depriving them of their allowances for fuel and light; that warders holding special appointments suffer a reduction in their pay by losing the cash allowance hitherto attached to those appointments; is he aware that the payment at the rate of a 1d. an hour for two or three hours weekly is insufficient to cover the loss of those allowances; and will he now take steps to give full effect to the Treasury Order of April last?
§ Mr. DUKEI am informed that the new scale of pay provides identical wages for ordinary prison warders in England and Ireland. The fuel and light allowances referred to hitherto given in Ireland are not part of the remuneration of English prison officers and necessarily cease with the introduction of the English scale of pay which the Irish officers pressed for. In most cases the cash allowances mentioned are merged in the new salaries, and in other cases where specific services are required the working pay will be payable in respect of the actual number of hours worked which the specific duty entails.
§ Mr. FIELDasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that English prison warders on the 31st March last, with eight and sixteen years' service, were in receipt of 28s. and 32s. per week, respectively; and, as the Treasury sanctioned the assimilation of the pay of Irish prison warders with that of the English prison warders, is he aware that under the new scheme Irish prison warders with eight and sixteen years' service receive £1 6s. 1d. and £l 9s. per week, respectively; and will he take immediate steps to have the new Irish scheme suspended until the Treasury Order of April last is fully carried out?
§ Mr. DUKEI am not in a position to say what would have been the pay of English prison warders on 31st March last with either eight or sixteen years' service, but I am told that the pay of ordinary warders in Ireland and England is now identical. Under the new scheme Irish prison warders with eight and sixteen years' service will draw as pay at least £l 6s. 6d. and £l 9s. 7d. respectively, per week, and will be eligible to proceed to 32s. per week by increments. In addition, they will receive a war bonus of 4s. per week, free quarters for themselves and1856W their families, or a cash lodging allowance in lieu, free uniform, clothing, and an allowance of 6d. per week for boots, together with medical attendance by the prison medical officer. The new scales of pay are being applied to the Irish prison officers in the manner authorised by the Treasury.
§ Mr. J. P. FARRELLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will indicate the exact net amount of increase granted under the new scheme for increasing salaries of prison warders in Ireland; whether in the case of married men they have to give up an allowance of £5 a year for fuel and light in exchange for an increase of £9 2s. a year, thus leaving them £4 2s. net, whilst in the case of men who have to rent houses and have not cottages to live in the rent paid is from 5s. to 7s. a week, which practically leaves nothing of an increase at all; also will he explain how the single men only get 3s. 6d. a week over if they have to board out; and whether he is aware that the whole scheme has given rise to dissatisfaction in the force?
§ Mr. DUKEThe net amount of the increase under the new scale to warders is estimated, on an average, to be about 1s. a week to married warders occupying Government quarters, 1s. 7d. a week to married warders not provided with quarters, and 3s. 6d. a week to single warders. This is exclusive of the war bonus paid generally at the rate of 4s. per week. Under the new scheme married prison warders in receipt of a cash allowance of £5 per annum for fuel and light give up this allowance in consideration of the increase of £9 2s. per annum in salary, payable to them on new scale. I have no information as to the rents paid by warders not provided with quarters. The scheme makes no change as regards the single warders' boarding arrangements. I am told that the majority of the prison officers have accepted the new scale of pay.