§ MR. O'MARA (Kilkenny, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state the date of appointment as an auditor of the Local Government Board for Ireland of Major Eccles; what qualifications this gentleman possessed, and on whose recommendation was he appointed; and, seeing that this auditor for two years failed to discover the irregularities of the Mullingar Asylum funds, will he say why it is proposed to retain his services.
§ MR. WYNDHAMMajor Eccles was appointed auditor in June, 1900. He had previously acted, temporarily, in the same capacity, and satisfied the Civil Service Commissioners as to his qualifications. The suggestion that there was remissness on his part in tracing these irregularities has no foundation in fact. I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a similar Question put to me on the 17th December last.†