Michael Creed
Ceist:71 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Justice if she will have arrangements made for payment of the Gaeltacht allowance to members of the Garda Síochána (details supplied) stationed in the Cork Gaeltacht.
Written Answers. - Garda Gaeltacht Allowance.
The matter of the payment of such an allowance to gardaí serving at these stations is under review at present.
I should say, however, that when the Gaeltacht allowance was introduced in 1934, it was decided that it would be paid only in areas where Irish was the general medium of speech and where all the members of the Force were proficient in Irish and were required to perform their duties in Irish. The areas where the allowance was to be paid were determined on the basis of districts. These are Garda administrative areas — each comprising five or six stations — under the supervision of superintendents. It was not regarded as practicable to arrange for members of the Force in any particular station to conduct all their duties in Irish if Irish was not also in use at the district headquarters, which is the case in this instance.