§ Mr. KINGasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he is aware that married men in the Royal Irish Constabulary and Dublin Metropolitan Police receive no allowance for fuel and light; that married men are unable to purchase a reasonable supply of coal, along with the bare necessaries of life, out of their weekly pay of 30s. per week; and whether he will grant an allowance of £1 per month to these men?
§ Mr. A. SAMUELSMarried men of the Royal Irish Constabulary and Dublin Metropolitan Police receive no allowance for fuel and light. I am not aware that such an allowance is granted to married members of other police forces. In no instance is the pay of married members of the Royal Irish Constabulary and Dublin Metropolitan Police so low as 30s. a week.
§ Mr. KINGasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he will reconsider the petitions of the Royal Irish Constabulary and the Dublin Metropolitan Police for an increase in pay and pensions; whether he is aware that since 1914 these men have received only an addition of 3s. per week in their pensionable pay; that the Grant of a non-pensionable war bonus, temporary and non-pensionable subsistence allowance to married men, and a small increase in the non-pensionable fuel allowance to sergeants in charge of stations does not relieve acute financial distress in both forces; that the standard height for recruits in the Royal Irish Constabulary has been lowered since the commencement of the War; that the standard chest measurement has been now reduced to 36 ins. for all men; that recruits coming forward are below the usual high 1424W standard of the Royal Irish Constabulary; that young constables and men of long service have resigned since last year owing to the inadequacy of pay; and that all men entitled to full pensions are anxious to retire; and what action will be taken to meet growing discontent?
§ Mr. SAMUELSThe question of increased remuneration for the Royal Irish Constabulary and Dublin Metropolitan Police is at present under consideration. The standard height for recruits of the Royal Irish Constabulary was reduced from 5 ft. 9 ins. to 5 ft. 8 in. on 10th August, 1914. On 23rd May, 1918, recruits of 5 ft. 11 ins. and upwards were required to have a mean chest measurement of 36 ins. instead of 37 ins., as it was found that men of the above height rapidly developed their chest measurement under physical training; but no reduction was made in the chest measurement required for candidates under 5 ft. 11 ins., which remains at 36 ins. It is not a fact that recruits coming forward are below the usual high standard of the Royal Irish Constabulary. A few men who resigned recently have stated as their reasons for such resignations that their pay was inadequate. Many members of the force who are entitled to full pension would like to retire, as men in that position were entitled to do before the War, but retirements on pension are prohibited during the War by the Police (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1915.
§ Mr. KINGasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that the cycling allowance paid to members of the Royal Irish Constabulary is inadequate, that the Regulations provide that no man can claim cycling allowance on duty unless he cycles to a place 8 miles from his barrack, and that he cannot draw in a year more than 15s. per month in summer and 17s. 6d. per month in winter, total £9 12s. 6d., even though employed constantly on cycling duties and actually earning double that fixed sum; if he is aware that the system of overholding even a small excess in each man's monthly claim for a period of six months and depriving a man of his actual earning has created discontent, and that the making of supplementary cycling claims at the end of each summer and winter period creates unnecessary office work, that the Royal Irish Constabulary provide and maintain their own bicycles free of cost to the State, that bicycles are used on all duties at 1425W present, effecting great economies in car hire, and that efficiency of the police force depends much on their mobility; and whether he will now allow 3d. per mile in summer and 4d. per mile in winter, abolish the limit fixed for cycling allowance, fix a general station allowance, and pay expenses incurred when cycling on duty?
§ Mr. SAMUELSI am not aware that the cycling allowance paid to members of the Royal Irish Constabulary is inadequate. Cycling allowance is not paid for a distance of less than 8 miles, because no locomotion expenses are payable under the Constabulary Regulations within a radius of 8 miles. The maximum payment for cycling duties per month is correctly stated. At the end of the summer and winter periods men are allowed to put forward supplementary claims if, during either period, they earned more than the maximum payment in some months but less than the limit in other months. This arrangement works for the benefit of the men concerned.1426W The men provide and maintain their own bicycles, but are not under any obligation to use them on the public service. The cycling allowance is paid in substitution for marching allowance or train fare in the great majority of cases; but when the employment of special cars is avoided by use of a bicycle a saving to the public accrues. It is not proposed to alter the present cycling allowances paid to members of the force.