asked the Minister for Finance whether in view of the fact that the judgment of the Privy Council in the Wigg and Cochrane case was delivered several months ago, and that this case dealt only with the calculations of the pensions and gratuities of Civil Servants retiring under Article 10 of the Treaty, and that the functions of the Civil Service Committee are primarily to decide the question of allowing or disallowing retirement, he will state why the work of this Committee cannot at once be resumed without affecting the financial adjustments to be considered consequent on the Privy Council's decision.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - CIVIL SERVICE COMMITTEE.
The judgment referred to raises not merely financial but constitutional and legal questions of far-reaching importance. As has been already stated in reply to recent Parliamentary questions on the subject, the matter is under consideration. I am not in a position to make any further statement at present.
Will the Minister undertake that the Act of 1920, which definitely states that no officer may be kept in the Service for more than two years from the date of his application to retire, will become operative, because, as he must be aware, there are many men waiting three and four years for discharge under this Act?