Mr. NUGENTasked the Postmaster-General if six officials of the Post Office engineering department were transferred from Great Britain to Ireland in 1915, one of them to the post of superintending engineer; whether all these men at the time of their transfer to Ireland were of military age; if they are still of military age, why were they not called up for service as was done in the case of Irishmen who returned from Great Britain; whether there are men in the Irish service fully competent to fill these positions; if so, why are men of military age brought over from Great Britain to fill them; and if he is aware that over 50 per cent. of the executive engineering staff in Ireland are Irishmen?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHSeven officers of the engineering department were transferred from Great Britain to Ireland in 1915—one of them to fill the position of superintending engineer. Four of the seven were of military age at the time of transfer, but it was not possible to release them. There are no officers in the engineering department in Ireland competent to fill the positions of these seven men. The staff of the engineering department is interchangeable throughout the United Kingdom, and no information is available as to the number who are Irishmen.