HC Deb 07 August 1884 vol 292 cc110-1
MR. HEALY

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If it be the fact that the Ballyshannon Board of Conservators are in the habit of handing over their funds in many cases to the different proprietors of rivers for the payment of water bailiffs, or, in other words, restoring in many cases to the proprietors the amount of licence duty paid by them; that no receipts are produced as vouchers for such sums having been paid to the bailiffs, and, on a late occasion, they were not paid by the proprietor who had received this money from the Board until a long time after it had been due to and earned by the bailiffs; that one of the Conservators, a Mr. Hugh M'Intyre, has ineffectually remonstrated against this state of things, not only with the Board of Conservators, but with the Inspectors of Fisheries, and if he will give powers to the Inspectors of Fisheries to prevent this abuse of public funds, some of them being contributed as licence duty by poor fishermen, if they have not already sufficient powers, and also state what steps have been taken by the Inspectors since receipt of Mr. M'Intyre's communications; and, if the accounts of this Board are examined periodically by the Inspectors of Irish Fisheries?

THE SOLICITOR GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. WALKER) (for Mr. TREVELYAN)

The Inspectors of Fisheries inform me that the Ballyshannon Board of Conservators are in the habit, in some cases, of entrusting to proprietors of rivers funds for payment through their hands of the water bailiffs. No receipts have hitherto been produced as vouchers for such payments. I am informed that on a late occasion a proprietor did not hand the money over to the bailiff till a considerable time after it had been earned. Mr. M'Intyre remonstrated with the Board and Inspectors; but the Conservators have complete control over their own funds, and the Board can only give advice and make representations. The Inspectors, in this instance, have advised the Conservators to discontinue the practice. The accounts are examined periodically by the Inspectors.