My reason for raising this matter on the Adjournment to-night is that on several occasions I tried to get a satisfactory reply to questions I put on this matter, but could not do so. In the first place, I asked a question last week under four heads. The reply I got covered only one head, and not four. The reply states: "A resolution was passed as stated. It is understood that the inclusive salary referred to operates as from 1st April, 1927." Then it states further that "an agreement is in course of preparation which has, I understand, presented some drastic difficulties. The County Council have been asked to complete the matter without avoidable delay." That agreement contains about ten clauses. Clause 6 of that agreement contained a pension clause. When the agreement was sent up in December, 1926, to the Department they sent down a reply to the County Council objecting to the pension clause of the agreement. If that agreement had been operative without the sanction of the Local Government Department—and the Minister's reply does not say it was sanctioned—if it was in operation without sanction then what is the position as regards the pension clause of that agreement which has been objected to by the Department? As a member of the Special Finance Committee, I definitely objected to the pension clause and I sent that objection up to the Department. I considered it very unfair. That clause stated that the Secretary should be paid a pension of £1,033 per annum. and that if necessary for that purpose a number of years were to be added to his years of service so as to entitle him to such a pension.
One of the first actions of that Special Finance Committee was to adopt a resolution that no years should be added to any official's years of service in order to entitle him to an increase of pension more than he would be justly entitled to. In the second place, I considered it grossly unfair that in the position that this gentleman holds from the ratepayers and which carries a salary of £480 a year, they should be mulcted on his retirement by providing him with a pension of £1,033. These are the reasons why I raised this matter on the Adjournment. I want to know definitely if that agreement is being brought before the Minister for his sanction, and if so, whether it has been sanctioned or not? If it has not been sanctioned, is it a fact that there is in operation in Cork county a salary under an agreement, a clause of which has been objected to by the Minister? I want this question definitely answered now.
