asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether an application for retirement under Article 10 of the Treaty was submitted by Mr. John Redmond (postman, G.P.O., Pearse Street), on June 11th, 1923, and whether he can state when this application will be finally dealt with.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS ORAL ANSWERS. - POSTMAN'S APPLICATION FOR RETIREMENT.
An application for retirement under Article 10 of the Treaty was made by Mr. John J. Redmond, postman, Dublin, on the 12th June, 1923, and was forwarded to the Department of Finance in due course. That Department, however, deferred treatment of the application under paragraph 2 (d) of the eighth schedule of the Government of Ireland Act, 1920, owing to Mr. Redmond's sick absence record. The case is again under the consideration of the Minister for Finance, but a decision has not yet been conveyed to my Department.
Arising out of that answer, are we to take it that the Government of Ireland Act, 1920, is applicable in law and has full force and effect in the Free State, and has not been set aside in toto by the Treaty? Is that the actual meaning of the answer that the Minister has given?
I do not think that question arises.
Arising out of the answer given to the question, I would like to ask the Minister if it generally takes two years to get a question of this kind decided?
Not generally.