§ MR. TULLY (Leitrim, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he is aware that clerks of unions have been always paid, as part of their duties, for checking periodically the rate collectors' accounts; whether it is proposed by the Local Government Board under a recent Order in Council to pay them an additional 1198 sum of 5s. per hundred names for checking the collectors' books; and whether he can state on what grounds it is proposed to increase in this way the remuneration of clerks of unions.
§ MR. G. W. BALFOURWhile the boards of guardians were the rating authorities it was part of the ordinary duty of the clerk of the union to examine periodically the accounts of the poor rate collectors, but no special remuneration was allowed for this work. This duty now devolves upon the secretaries to the county councils. It is obvious that a county secretary will require assistance in the checking of the accounts of the collectors for an entire county, and it was therefore thought desirable to permit the county council to authorise their secretary to appoint these experienced clerks of unions to act as his deputy for this important work. It is optional with county councils to avail-themselves of this permission, but if they do so the clerk will be entitled to remuneration at the rate mentioned in the question.