I move:—That the Bill do now pass.
CORONERS (AMENDMENT) BILL, 1926—FIFTH STAGE.
I should like to draw the Minister's attention to what strikes me as a subject for a new Bill in this connection, which would be more necessary than some of the provisions of this Bill. I have a document here issued by the Local Government Department giving a list of coroners in the different counties. I find that in the County Tipperary there are four salaries paid in the North Riding and four in the South Riding. In the North Riding, the four salaries are £32, £34, £40, £56. In the South Riding, the salaries are £80, £85, £100, £140. There seems to be some contradiction there. It says: "Posts in each riding held by the same coroner." There may be four coroners, but there are eight positions and eight salaries. I am not in a position to say that there are eight distinct coroners, but there are eight salaries. In the County Louth, a very small county, there are three, one with a salary of £30, another £40, another £66. I suggest to the Minister that here is a real subject for legislation, rather than the powers he has thought well to confer on his Department in the present Bill. I think if he will look over this list he will find plenty of reasons for introducing legislation to deal generally with the question of coroners. Here is the groundwork of extravagance, and the Minister having the groundwork ready has brought in a Bill whereby these salaries can be raised to whatever sum is acceptable to the official mind in Merrion Street. I take exception to this Bill as it stands and the principle it introduces, and the Farmers' Party intend to oppose it even on the Final Stage.
The motion is, "That this Bill do now pass." I am inclined to stress that, because Deputy Gorey talked for the most part about some other Bill that apparently he has in mind and of a matter that is not embodied in the present Bill.
It should be.
The motion is, "That this Bill do now pass."
Which of them— Deputy Gorey's?
My Bill, or rather Senator Brown's Bill, which came on to us here. I put it to the Deputy, however, talking for a moment to his irrelevancies, that what does matter is not the number of coronerships, but whether the work performed by each individual coroner is necessary work, useful work, and adequately remunerated. In the distant past the conception I think was to have one coroner for each county. Presumably there was a reason for departing from that, and certain counties have been broken into districts. There are some counties —Leix is one—where the coroner is coroner for the entire district. There are other counties which are divided into districts. Kildare, I think, is broken into a coronership for North Kildare and a coronership for South Kildare. Then in other counties there are more districts. Presumably the salaries are small in proportion to the work performed. Where you would have possibly one coroner with a salary of perhaps £120 or £150, you might have four with a salary of £25 or £30. If any county council wishes to make recommendations on the matter, thinks that there is reason for departing from the existing position, then that is a matter that is open to it to make recommendations on. It is a matter which might quite appropriately be discussed at the General Council of County Councils. But we have had no representations of the kind, and we must only assume that each individual county council is satisfied that the breaking up of the counties into districts is better than the conception of having one single coroner for the entire county. But, in the absence of representation from individual county councils, or through the medium of the General Council of Co. Councils, it is not a matter that we propose to interfere with.
The point that Deputy Gorey has taken exception to is: where has the demand come from for an alteration in these salaries?
That is not the point the Deputy is talking about.
The Minister may try to make the case that that is not the point, but that is what is in Deputy Gorey's mind.
I am very glad that Deputy Gorey has an interpreter, because he did not mention that.
One as brilliant as the Minister ought to be able to interpret anything. Is there a coroner in any county who would go before the county council and ask for an increase? Would he dare do it? He would not. The work does not justify an increase. In place of that, the Minister inserts in this Bill a section enabling the salaries to be reviewed by a Department, and only with the right to increase and not to decrease. The point of view that Deputy Gorey and his Party hold is that if there is any change it should not be in the direction of an increase. There is very little work to be done, and the salaries paid are out of proportion to the amount of work involved and the responsibility of the office. The Minister thinks that it is the duty of a department to arrogate to itself the right to review the salary of any local official and increase it, whether the local authority are satisfied or not. That is a principle that we have very good reason for objecting to.
I thank the Deputy for his explanation.
Question put and declared carried.
A message will be sent to the Seanad to say that the Dáil has passed this Bill and that the concurrence of the Seanad is desired.