asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state on what grounds he justifies the issue by him of a sealed order directing the Monaghan County Council to pay a gratuity of £110 to a retired vocational education teacher who had only six years' service while her predecessor, who had ten years' service, was with the Minister's sanction granted £70 gratuity on her retirement.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Vocational Teachers' Gratuity.
The amount, viz., £110, sanctioned by me was the amount awarded by the local body and did not exceed the amount authorised by law.
Arising out of the reply, is the Minister aware that the vocational education committee, acting outside its authority, recommended a gratuity of £110, and that that recommendation was forwarded to the Minister, who sent it back informing them that they had no authority to make such recommendation on their own, but that he would pass it if the county council recommended it? The vocational committee then sent their recommendation to the county council, who examined it and decided that £70 was a reasonable gratuity in this case, and forwarded it to the Minister, who then returned it with a sealed order ordering the county council to disburse £110 of its money in contravention of their decision, although by law the county council was not bound to give the lady anything at all.
My advice is that the county council, although they have to pay, are not empowered by law to veto the amount granted by the education committee.
The county council are not obliged to give anything. They have the right not to give any gratuity at all and the vocational education committee has no function except through the county council to recommend. Will the Minister look into the case?
My advice is that the county council are required to pay once the vocational education committee have passed the amount.
Is the Minister aware that he himself wrote to the vocational education committee and told them that that was not so? Surely the Minister must know that this council actually granted £70 to a similar officer who retired in similar circumstances recently and that it is common knowledge in Monaghan that the reason this lady is given £110 by the Minister's sealed order is because she is a political supporter of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister and his Party?
This is question time. It is not permissible to make, in the guise of a supplementary question, a statement in criticism of a Ministerial reply.
Then, Sir, I give notice that I will raise the matter on the Adjournment.