§ MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAM (Cork County, N.E.)I beg to ask the Chief 935 Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state in what counties of Ireland have the salaries of county surveyors been increased by the Local Government Board beyond the amounts decided upon as sufficient by the county councils; and upon what grounds have the views of the local bodies conversant with the duties to be performed by these officials been ignored and set aside in some cases.
§ MR. ATKINSON (for Mr. G. W. BalFour)In fourteen counties the surveyors have appealed to the Local Government Board against the salaries proposed to be given to them by the councils, and in these cases the Board have increased the salaries. The counties are Carlow, Galway West Riding, Queen's, Tipperary South Riding, Waterford, Westmeath, Antrim, Cork West Riding, Kerry, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Mayo North and South Riding, and Wexford. In the eight last-mentioned counties the councils proposed to allow the surveyors no increase of salary, notwithstanding their admittedly increased duties, thus entirely ignoring the provisions of Section 115 (18) of the Act. In several Counties the salary of the surveyor is still under consideration, As regards the second paragraph, I must refer to my reply to the question of the hon. Member for West Kerry on the 9th inst.*
§ MR. FLAVIN (Kerry, N.)Can the right hon. Gentleman point out what are the increased duties which necessitate the increase in salaries?
§ MR. ATKINSONI cannot state them in detail at the moment.
§ MR. FLAVINIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware—
§ *MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! The hon. Gentleman cannot argue the matter.