asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether it is a fact that in at least two instances county managers (Meath and Wicklow) recommended an emergency bonus of 15/- per week as from January 1st, 1946, for married officers and 13/- per week for unmarried officers, but that only 12/- and 10/- per week, respectively, were sanctioned by him, and if he will state the reasons why the recommendations of the county managers have not been given full effect.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Government Officers' Bonus.
County managers have proposed for sanction from time to time emergency bonuses of varying rates. As a rule higher rates have been proposed for officers resident in urban areas than for officers in rural areas and the rates for married officers are higher than those for unmarried. Where the emoluments include rations in kind there is also differentiation in rates and part-time officers receive lower rates than whole-time officers. In dealing with these applications my Department endeavours to preserve some degree of uniformity. The County Manager of Meath proposed bonuses of 7/6 to 15/-. The County Manager of Wicklow proposed bonuses varying from 4/6 to 13/-. I have sanctioned 12/- a week bonus for whole-time married officers resident in urban districts in Meath and Wicklow. It is desirous as far as possible to secure a measure of uniformity of practice in the matter of the rates of emergency bonus to officials of the same class serving under the various local authorities and in sanctioning proposals received from any one local authority regard must be had to the practice of local authorities generally.