§ MR. JOSEPH DEVLINI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Irish boards of guardians and District lunatic asylum committees have been put to the expense of engaging stocktakers to take stock of the provisions every half-year since the Local Government Act came into force; and, if so, will he explain why the guardians and members of the committee of management were not allowed, 137 as in the grand jury days, to do this work; what is the amount of cost which this regulation of stocktaking has placed upon the ratepayers of Ireland per year; and whether, as the Local Government Board created the officers, they will recoup to the local authorities the amounts so expended.
§ MR. WALTER LONGIt is required that persons other than those connected with the bodies named should be employed as stocktakers. The Local Government Board have no power to compel members of these bodies to perform the duty. No information is available as to the cost, but it is very trifling. It is not intended to recoup the local authorities concerned.