§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will inquire from the Vice-President of the Irish Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction how many English and how many Scotch people are employed in Ireland by that Department and what is the gross amount of salary paid to them as far as they are within the knowledge of the Vice-President or ascertainable by him; and whether he will communicate to the House the number of the English and Scotch people so employed and the gross amount of salary paid to them.
§ MR. WALTER LONGThe reply to this Question is in the negative. I have already informed the hon. and learned Member that the Department have no record of the nationality of their staff.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLWhy cannot the right hon. Gentleman get the information from Sir Horace Plunkett, who must be in possession of the information, seeing that he made the appointments? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this Department is becoming an asylum for English and Scotch importations? Will the right hon. Gentleman answer that?
§ MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is not entitled to comment on an Answer.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLNo, Sir I will not offend again.
§ MR. SPEAKERI hope not.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLWill the right hon. Gentleman inquire of Sir Horace Plunkett?
§ MR. WALTER LONGI decline to do so. If I were responsible for an English Department I should take exactly the same course.