§ Mr. GILLISasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury when the increased lodging allowance due to the attendants of the Dundrum State asylum, County Dublin, from February, 1920, and the boot allowance of 8s. per year due since September, 1918, are to be paid; when the attendants Gaffney and Mahon are to be paid their retrospective lodging allowances due since February, 1920; when will overtime be paid for duty performed in excess of the eight-hour day; when will 658W the practice cease of making the staff remain seven years in the service before getting their lodging allowance; if the staff fitter has to spend over two-thirds of his existence inside the asylum walls without any overtime or sleeping-in payment; and will he say if the repeated promises made many months ago to assimilate the general allowances of this staff with those of the Broadmoor State asylum are to be carried out?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODThe increased lodging allowances payable to the Dundrum asylum attendants will be made within the next ten days, and attendants Gaffney and Mahon will receive their allowances, which run from November and February, 1920, respectively. The rule requiring seven years' service before qualifying for this allowance is no longer in operation. As regards boot allowance the authorised amounts have been paid, and no part in due. The hours of attendants at the asylum are now on the average very little in excess of eight per day and payment in respect of the slight overtime worked cannot be sanctioned. The statement an regards the fitter's hours of duty is incorrect. No asylum attendant is entitled to a sleeping-in payment. The fitter's position will be found to be similar to that of a corresponding officer at Broadmoor. There has been no failure to complete the assimilation of the allowances at Dundrum to those in force at Broadmoor, except as regards lodging allowance, in which the practice of the Irish prisons service has been followed as more appropriate.