§ MR. T. M. HEALYI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether tenders are invited from the Dublin seed houses for the bulbs required by the Irish Board of Works for the people's park (Phoenix Park), Stephen's Green Park, and Leinster Lawn, and are the orders for the same given to the firm sending in the lowest tender; if tenders are not invited, will he say why the practice of the Board to get tenders for all other classes of goods is departed from.
§ MR. HAYES FISHERYes, Sir; tenders are invited from selected Dublin firms, and the Board accept that which is on the whole the most advantageous. In the case of bulbs—which cannot be tested by conformity to a sample—it would be difficult to adopt universally the principle of open competition and the acceptance of the lowest tender, but, in point of fact, the lowest tender was accepted this year.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYDO I understand that the firms selected are exclusively Protestant, and that Catholic firms are boycotted?
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!