§ MR. O'MALLEY (Galway, Connemara)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland what was the number of the total staff attached to the Local Government Board for Ireland in the year 1896, and the amount of the salaries and emoluments; also the total number for the year 1904, and the amount of the salaries and emoluments; also the amount of the salaries and emoluments of the Poor Law and rural district (or public health) officers for the same periods.
(Answered by Mr. Atkinson.) The numbers and emoluments of the staff of the Local Government Board in the years 1896 and 1904 are shown in the Estimates for these years. To ascertain the emoluments of Poor Law and other local officers in the same periods it would be necessary to obtain the information from local authorities. Very considerable difficulty would now be experienced in obtaining such information, with accuracy, for the year 1896, and as it does not appear to me that any useful public purpose would be served by endeavouring to procure it, I am unable to impose the labour on the officers of local authorities.