asked the Taoiseach whether at any time prior to their appointment to their present offices any of the present Ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries held pensionable posts in the Civil Service of the United Kingdom, or of the Provisional Government of Saorstát Éireann, or of Saorstát Éireann; if so, to state the posts held by such Ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries, respectively, the dates on which such Ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries retired from the Civil Service concerned, the grounds on which such retirement took place, and whether on such retirement any, and if so, what compensation, bonus, lump sum or retiring allowance was granted to the person concerned.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Posts Occupied by Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries.
Mr. William Norton, the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Welfare, held a post of post office clerk, from which he retired voluntarily in May, 1924, without any compensation, bonus, lump sum or retiring allowance.
General Richard Mulcahy, the Minister for Education, held a clerical post in the British Civil Service, which he gave up on the 15th April, 1916, to take part in the Rising of 1916. He did not receive any compensation, bonus, lump sum or retiring allowance on leaving his post.
asked the Taoiseach whether at any time prior to their appointment to their present offices any Minister or Parliamentary Secretary held an appointment on the staff of any organisation or institution to which contributions have been made from public moneys or from moneys provided under an Act of the Oireachtas; if so, whether such Minister or Parliamentary Secretary has resigned from such post; and, if not, what are the existing relations between him and his employers as to salary, pension and general conditions of service, and, in particular, whether the payment of any substitute or deputy will be a charge upon public moneys or moneys provided under an Act of the Oireachtas.
Mr. Patrick McGilligan, the Minister for Finance, held a professorship in the Faculty of Law in University College, Dublin, for a number of years prior to his appointment as Minister on the 18th February last. Mr. McGilligan has not resigned from that post, and the relations between him and the authorities of the college as to salary, pension and general conditions of service are the same as they were prior to his appointment as Minister for Finance. The question of the payment of a substitute or deputy will not arise while Mr. McGilligan continues to hold the professorship.
Dr. N. C. Browne, the Minister for Health, held a position as house physician in 1942-43 on the staff of the Royal National Hospital for Consumption for Ireland, Newcastle, County Wicklow, and he was appointed assistant resident medical superintendent of that hospital in October, 1944. Since he was appointed as Minister for Health on the 18th February last, the authorities of the hospital have granted Dr. Browne leave without pay until the 31st March, 1949.
In so far as the expression "organisation or institution" used by the Deputy may refer to a local authority, I would refer the Deputy to the reply that I gave in this House on the 2nd of last month to a question addressed to me by Deputy MacEntee on the subject of the posts in the service of local authorities that were held by the present Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries at the date of their appointment.