Mr. NUGENTasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that 613 members of the Dublin Metropolitan Police signed a petition and forwarded it to the Chief Commissioner for transmission to the Chief Secretary, asking that the Dublin police be placed on the same basis as the London police, both as regards pay and a weekly rest day; whether he is aware that this petition was handed back to the man who signed it first in each barracks by the respective superintendents, who informed them that the Chief 1829W Commissioner could not entertain it, as it was forwarded through the superintendent; is he aware that in January last the constabulary signed a petition praying for an increase in lodging allowance and an increased war bonus for children, that the said petition was forwarded through the superintendents, but those who signed it were not even treated to the courtesy of a reply; is he aware that the constables in the Metropolitan Police have no confidence in the superintendents or that any document handed to them will reach its proper destination, having regard to the previous experience; and will he say what action he proposes to take to deal with the objects of this petition?
§ Mr. DUKEMemorials from a number of men of the Dublin Metropolitan Police praying for increase of pay were received by post on the 25th March. The Chief Commissioner instructed the superintendents to return the memorials to the first signatory on each document with a notification that if the memorials were submitted through the superintendents in accordance with the regular practice the applications would receive the fullest consideration. The memorial from the married men to which the hon. Member refers is being dealt with.