§ MR. SEXTONI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether any steps have been taken by the Board of Works to ascertain the cost of the extra work executed by the contractor in the building of the Achill Viaduct, County Mayo, owing to their alteration and enlargement of the original plans and specifications, the substitution of steel for iron, &c.; whether he is aware that the Grand Jury of Mayo have already paid their portion of the extra cost; and whether, seeing that the contractor holds a certificate from Mr. Peddie, engineer in charge, showing that the amount of work claimed for has been done, something can be done to compensate 680 the contractor for the outlay—namely, £2,700?
§ SIR H. MAXWELL(who replied) said: The hon. Member will hardly expect me to repeat the answer given to a similar question on 10th March last year by my right hon. Friend the then Financial Secretary, but I have no further information now to give.
§ MR. SEXTONIt is contested whether the contractor has been compensated, that is the point I wish to elucidate. Are the Treasury or the Board of Works intending to make any inquiry?
§ SIR H. MAXWELLThe contractor was appointed not by the Board of Works but by the Grand Jury of County Mayo.