asked the Minister for Finance if the tribunal set up under the Civil Service (Transferred Officers) Compensation Bill, 1929, is the tribunal referred to in his statement of February 27th, 1929, and, if so, whether it will consider claims to compensation made under Article X. of the Treaty of transferred officers of the Dublin Metropolitan Police who joined prior to 1921 and who retired prior to the expiration of the prescribed period.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Retirement Claims of Transferred D.M.P.
The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and to the second part in the negative.
At the time my answer to the Deputy's previous question on this subject was given, I contemplated that transferred members of the late Dublin Metropolitan Police Force would be included in the Bill then being drafted to give effect to the agreement reached with the British Government in regard to Article X. of the Treaty. On further consideration, however, I felt that such members need not be included for the reasons (1) that the issues which gave rise to the Wigg-Cochrane litigation had no reference to members of the Dublin Metropolitan Police; (2) that points of dispute in connection with awards of compensation already made to such members had been settled as the result of a comprehensive judgement of the High Court, and (3) that the period within which members might give notice of their desire to retire under Article X. had long since expired, and the question of compensation could in future only arise in the unlikely event of a man being discharged from his employment for a cause other than misconduct or incapacity. In such a case, the claim for compensation would be dealt with Departmentally, as was contemplated by the Act of 1920.