§ MR. JAMES O'CONNOR (Wicklow, W.)To ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that, according to the estimate of the county surveyor of Wicklow, the cost of maintaining the roads from Ballyfolan leading to the military camp at Shankill will be £88 16s. per year as compared with £7 8s., the annual cost of maintaining the roads previous to the establishment of the camp; and whether, seeing the amount received by the local council in lieu of rates upon War Department property for the last four years was—in 1900, £9 16s. 8d., in 1901, £17 4s. 2d., in 1902, £11 14s. 3d., and in 1903, £9 8s. 7d.; and that under The Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, Section 27 (2), the expenditure on these roads is limited to sixpence per perch, being the former average cost thereof, the War Department will increase their contribution to meet the increased expenditure for the maintenance of the roads leading to the military camp.
(Answered by Lord Stanley.) Payments in lieu of rates are made by the Treasury, to which Department the hon. Member should address any communications he may wish to make.