§ Mr. KELLYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, in view of the fact that the men in Royal Irish Constabulary barracks are at present obliged to defray all the cost of cleaning the same, to purchase brushes and doormats, and pay a servant for the purpose, he will make arrangements to have all such costs defrayed out of public funds?
§ Mr. SHORTTIt has always been the practice for the members of the force to pay their barrack servants out of their own pockets and defray any other cost incurred in sweeping and cleaning the barrack premises. Such charges could not now be thrown on the public without the authority of the Treasury.
§ Mr. KELLYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, in view of the fact that district inspectors in the Royal Irish Constabulary get an extra allowance of £1 per week and their clerks 1s. per day for work on behalf of the Food Controller, he will also consider the claims of sergeants in charge of stations to remuneration for the same work, as they are at present forced to execute additional duties under this Department without extra remuneration?
§ Mr. SHORTTThe temporary authority given by the Treasury for allowances in respect of food control work done by the Royal Irish Constabulary is restricted to the district inspectors and the members of the force assisting them as clerks. These payments are chargeable against the funds of the Food Control Department. I do not consider that there are sufficient grounds for recommending a special allowance also for the sergeants in charge of stations.
Mr. NUGENTasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he can state the number of district inspectors and head constables, respectively, who are at present serving in the Royal Irish Constabulary and who have completed forty years' service and attained the age of sixty years; the number of county inspectors retained at present in the Royal Irish Constabulary under similar conditions; what is the result of the circular issued some months ago to county inspectors directing them to recommend for retirement useless aged men and calling their attention to the necessity of retaining in the service only active and efficient men; 2132W what is the age and service, respectively, of the senior head constable in Belfast and county Meath; and whether he can state why district inspectors and head constables are retained in the service after they have ceased to be efficient, seeing that county inspectors are retired on reaching the maximum age and service?
§ Mr. SHORTTNone of the county inspectors at present serving in the force have completed forty years' service and attained the age of sixty years. Eight district inspectors have attained the conditions mentioned, but are not yet qualified to receive the maximum pension of the rank and class in which they are serving and their compulsory retirement is not, therefore, required by Section 4 of the Act 45 and 46 Victoria, ch. 63. Twelve head constables are still serving who have completed over forty years' service, and are sixty years of age. The cases of all head constables over sixty years of age were considered some time ago by a board of officers at headquarters, and all those who were considered inefficient were retired from the force on pension. The senior head constable in Belfast is sixty-three years and has forty-five years' service. The senior head constable in county Meath is sixty-three and has forty-four years' service. Both were reported to be active and efficient when the cases of all head constables over sixty were considered by the board of officers at headquarters some months ago. No district inspector or head constable who is reported to be inefficient is retained in the service after attaining the conditions as to age and service mentioned. It should be borne in mind that Section 2 of the Police (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1915, is still in force and the object of that Section is to prevent, during the War, the retirement on pension of members of police forces who are fully efficient in the discharge of their duties.