asked the Minister for Lands whether he is aware that the travelling expenses of supervising gangers in the employment of the Irish Land Commission were reduced from 1½d. per mile to ½d. per mile since the emergency, under Establishment Notice No. 27/40; and whether he is prepared, in view of the increased cost of travelling (as recognised by other State Departments granting increased travelling expenses), to restore these men to the pre-emergency rate.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Gangers' Travelling Expenses.
Supervising gangers in the Land Commission who use pedal-cycles for travelling on official business are allowed expenses at the rate of 1½d. a mile in respect of the first 1,000 miles travelled in each year, 1d. a mile in respect of the second 1,000, and ½d. a mile thereafter. These rates were fixed after prolonged consideration, and as a result of correspondence with the Department of Finance extending over some years. In their application, a supervising ganger travelling 4,000 miles in a year would receive £14 11s. in respect of travelling expenses by pedal-cycle. That compensation is regarded as reasonable. I am not aware that any increase has been granted in pedal-bicycle rates by other Government Departments. An alternative arrangement to that now adopted by the Land Commission would be the fixing of a commuted allowance in each case, irrespective of the distance travelled. Adoption of such an arrangement would be less favourable to the supervising gangers.