asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that Andrew O'Neill and John Sheedy, who, it is stated, resigned from the D.M.P. for political reasons prior to the Truce of 1921, have been refused reinstatement in the Gárda Síochána. and if he will make representations to the Chief Commissioner of the Gárda Síochána with a view to having these men reinstated with the concessions in respect to pay and pension rights mentioned in Section 3 of the Superannuation and Pensions Act, 1923.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - EX-POLICEMEN'S CLAIM TO REINSTATEMENT.
It is correct that these men have been refused reinstatement in the Gárda Síochána. I am not prepared to make any representations on the subject to the Chief Commissioner. With regard to the third part of the question, the Deputy is, no doubt, aware that a time limit of three months, within which reinstatement might be effected, was fixed by Section 3 of the Superannuation and Pensions Act, 1923. That limit has long since lapsed.
Will the Minister state why the men in question have been refused reinstatement; and is the Minister aware that these are the two members of the Dublin Metropolitan Police Force who refused to participate in the disarmament of the Volunteers at Bachelor's Walk in 1914, and who were then dismissed, and does the Minister not think that, in view of that fact, these cases deserve special consideration?
I think these questions had better be addressed to the Minister for Justice. I may say that Sheedy resigned voluntarily in July, 1918, and the reason he gave was that "I consider the present rate of pay is insufficient to purchase the necessary requirements of life."
But these two men, O'Neill and Sheedy, were dismissed from the D.M.P. in 1914. They were afterwards reinstated and resigned in 1918. As regards the reason given by Sheedy, as mentioned by the Minister, is it not a fact that both men took an active part in the subsequent struggle in this country?
I think that those questions had better be addressed to the Minister for Justice.