To ask the Minister for Home Affairs to furnish a statement showing the names, offices, and salaries (payable by the Irish Government) of the Officers transferred from the British Government and lent by the British Government respectively within the meaning of Article 75 of the Draft Constitution.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. - TRANSFERRED AND LENT OFFICERS.
The present position in regard to the tranfer of staff is that the staffs of all Irish Departments, with the exception of the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise, the Land Commission, Registry of Deeds, Quit Rent Office and Office of Clerk of Crown and Hanaper, have been transferred to the Irish Government. In the case of the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise, taxation services are being administered temporarily by the British Departments as agents for the Irish Government, and under the agency agreement the transfer of staff will not take place until the agency terminates. In the case of the Land Commission and other Departments mentioned it has been agreed between the British and Irish Governments that the transfer should be deferred for the present. Ultimately the staffs of all Departments will be transferred under Clause 75 of the Constitution. The statement which the Deputy asks for would involve the preparation of a list giving the names, ranks and salaries of all Civil Servants and other officials in all the Government Departments in this country, including, for example, every postal official throughout the country, and I cannot see what useful purpose would justify the labour involved in making out such a list. With regard to officers lent by the British Government to the Irish Government, I am not in a position to say what officers will be on loan to the Irish Government when the Constitution comes into force.
Arising out of that question, I wish to say I did not, of course, desire a list of the Civil Servants. I was under the impression that some officers had been transferred from London. That is the question I would like to have the Minister answer. These are the ones of whom I would like to have the names.
If I might answer that question in a manner that is supposed to be characteristically Irish, I would ask the Deputy as regards the way the question reads—"To ask the Minister for Home Affairs to furnish a statement showing the names, offices and salaries (payable by the Irish Government) of the officers trasferred from the British Government and lent by the British Government respectively within the meaning of Article 75," why he asked it that way?
I did not desire to know anything about the large establishments that have been taken over. I was under the impression that within the meaning of Article 75 there were certain officers transferred from London.
The Deputy should burn a little more of the midnight oil over the wording of his questions.
I will raise it again.