To ask the Minister for Finance if he will say when the claim of the Victimised Civil Servants for re-instatement will be finally settled; if he is aware that a number of cases are not yet dealt with, including the claim of William Colbert, Ministry of Labour, and F.V. Rowland, who was for twenty-two years on the Ordnance Survey, Phoenix Park?
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. - VICTIMISED CIVIL SERVANTS' CLAIMS.
Mr. Colbert was serving in the Ministry of Labour, London, at the time of the alleged victimisation. As in the case of all claimants for reinstatement who were serving in Great Britain Departments, his case must come before the Committee which is about to be set up.
Mr. Rowland's case is at present under consideration.
May I ask the Minister whether, in view of the fact that there are some dozens of cases still awaiting consideration, and that they have been recommended over ten months ago, will he have them considered at once; because, since I put down this question. I have received another half a dozen cases, and I would like to press that they should get consideration at the earliest possible moment?
It is a question of discrimination as to what business will be taken first. We cannot get through with the business more rapidly than we are doing, and I could not give any undertaking at present to expedite any particular class of work. The discretion of the Minister in charge of the particular department must be relied on to see which business will have precedence over any others. None of these cases has been lost sight of, but if it means considering a question of this sort, to the exclusion of much more weighty and important business, I do not know that you could get any responsible Minister to be answerable for such.