§ Mr. GUINEYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, having regard to the discrepancy in the pay of head constables in the Royal Irish Constabulary as coin-pared with the pay of a third-class district inspector, the former receiving by way of full salary, emoluments, and allowances an average annual payment of £160 7s. and the latter the sum of £404 10s., and having regard to the fact that the head constable does the entire clerical work of the inspector, will he recommend that the rank of third-class district inspector be abolished and that the head constable be paid an increased salary proportionate to 942W the value of his services and having regard to the abolition of the rank of third-class district inspector?
§ Mr. SHORTTThe average annual pay and allowances drawn by head constables of the Royal Irish Constabulary is £160 7s. The pay and pensionable allowances drawn by third-class district inspectors amount to £240 per annum. The hon. Member is under a misapprehension in stating that the entire clerical work of the district inspectors is done by the head constables, but head constables may be required to assist district inspectors if necessary in the clerical work of their offices. I am not prepared to recommend the abolition of the rank of third-class district inspector.
§ Mr. GUINEYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, having regard to the fact that many of the district inspectors now in Ireland have been promoted from the rank of head constable, and having regard to the experience and capability of a head constable so promoted, he will consider if an educated and intelligent young constable would be competent to assist in office work; and whether he will recommend this course to be adopted, thus considerably lightening the office labours of the head constable and giving him more time to devote to outside and necessary duties?
§ Mr. SHORTTIn a considerable number of cases where the clerical work of a district inspector's office is particularly heavy, the services of a constable as clerk are allowed to assist the district inspector and the head constable in carrying on the work of the office. It is not intended to allow the services of a constable as clerk to every district inspector, as it would unnecessarily withdraw men from their ordinary police duties for which they are much required.
§ Mr. GUINEYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland why a sergeant receives his maximum pay as sergeant after four years' service while a head constable must spend five years before receiving the maximum?
§ Mr. SHORTTThe scales of pay of head constables and sergeants of the Royal Irish Constabulary are fixed by the Constabulary Act of 1908.
§ Mr. GUINEYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland why, when a constable of the Royal Irish Constabulary is obliged to retire from the force through ill-health or other causes, after having been promoted 943W to higher rank, his pension is calculated according to his pay for the three years preceding retirement, and not according to his then promoted rank; for instance, a sergeant promoted head constable and being forced to retire is pensioned according to his pay as sergeant, and not according to his pay as head constable?
§ Mr. SHORTTUnder the Constabulary Acts the pensions of all men of the Royal Irish Constabulary who have been promoted to a higher rank during the three years immediately prior to the date of retirement must be calculated upon the average anuual amount of their pay during the period of three years prior to their retirement, and not upon their actual pay at date of retirement. This rule is common to the entire public service and is not specially applicable to the Royal Irish Constabulary.