asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether it is a fact that in accordance with the rules applying in Civil Prisons, all civil prisoners are exempt from labour on Roman Catholic Holydays of Obligation, as they are on Sundays, whether in consequence of such exemption, it has been the established custom, for over 30 years, to allow as many of the officers of the Prisons as could be spared off duty on those days; whether their being off duty on such holydays imposes no financial burden on the State, and whether it is the intention of the Government to deprive those officers of this long-existing privilege, and, if not, will he issue instructions to all Prison Governors that this privilege is not to be taken away.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. [ORAL ANSWERS.] - PRISON OFFICIALS AND CATHOLIC HOLYDAYS.
Mr. O'HIGGINS
Prisoners are exempted from unnecessary labour on Christmas Day, Good Friday and certain other Catholic Holydays. There is no established custom with regard to allowing officers off duty on those days, but Governors of Prisons have discretion to grant leave to officers whose services can be spared. They would not, however, allow off duty any officer whose absence would impose a financial burden on the State. I see no reason for interfering with the Governor's discretionary power in such cases, and I do not propose to issue special instructions on the subject.