asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number and present position of Friendly Societies in Saorstát Eireann with branches in Great Britain and the Six-County area; whether such Societies are, and have been unable to get any rule, under the Friendly Societies Act, registered in Great Britain or the Six-County area since the coming into law of the Irish-British Treaty.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. [ ORAL ANSWERS. ] - FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.
There are only two Friendly Societies registered in Saorstát Eireann which have branches in Great Britain and the Six-County area. These Societies are the Irish National Foresters' Benefit Society, 30 Mountjoy Square, East, Dublin, and the Ancient Order of Hibernians (Board of Erin) Friendly Society, 1 Mountjoy Square, Dublin.
I presume that by the words "present position" in the question the Deputy means the present position of these Friendly Societies as regards registration of rules of branches. Inasmuch as Saorstát Eireann no longer forms part of the United Kingdom, it follows that Societies registered here cannot have branches registered as such in any part of the United Kingdom, that is to say, in the Six-County area or in Great Britain.
As regards the second part of the question, the law up to the establishment of Saorstát Eireann was that, in the case of a Society registered in Ireland and registering a rule here, such rule could be certified by the Registrar and sent to the Registrar in England, who thereupon recorded it in Great Britain. Since the establishment of Saorstát Eireann all these provisions regarding the recording of rules have ceased to have any effect. The Registrars in Great Britain and the Six-County area have refused to record rules registered in the Saorstát, as the recording provisions apply only to Societies carrying on business in different parts of the United Kingdom.