§ MR. J. P. FARRELLTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to a surcharge amounting to £14 on three Members of Longford District Council for a payment made in respect of extra work done by the Council's engineer; and whether, seeing that no opportunity was given to the persons surcharged to be heard before the auditor, and that an appeal in respect of the surcharge has been refused by the Local Government Board for Ireland, he will direct that before proceedings are taken to enforce the payment of the surcharge the engineer's process against the Council will be allowed to be first decided by the County Court judge.
(Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) Due notice was given by the auditor in the prescribed manner of his intention to audit the accounts of this Council. All persons interested were at liberty to attend the audit. The auditor surcharged two sums of £10 10s. and £2 17s. in respect to payments made to the Council's engineer. On appeal the Local Government Board declared the surcharges to have been lawfully made. The decision of the Board is final, and it has no authority to interfere with the auditor in the steps he may take for the recovery of these sums.