§ MR. J. P. NANNETTI (Dublin, College Green)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will explain why Mr. Drury, an auditor of the Local Government Board, Ireland, who has by length of service attained his maximum rate of salary, namely, £700 a year, has lately been given an addition to his salary of £100 a year on the representation that he is employed in auditing the accounts of county councils, seeing that the only audit for which he is responsible is that of Dublin Corporation accounts, for which he has been responsible for fourteen years without any addition to his salary; and whether, seeing that Mr. Drury also receives a further addition to his salary of £100 a year for controlling the work of his fellow auditors, all of whom have larger experience in conducting audits under the regulations which have been in force since the Local Government Act, 1898, came into operation, and that he allowed to receive from moneys not provided by Parliament a further salary of £50 a year for work outside his duties as a civil servant, he will explain why he is supplied with the services of a lower division clerk to assist him in earning hi emoluments as an auditor.
MR. BRYCEMr. Drury's appointment, duties, salary, emoluments, and staff were fixed in 1904, by the Treasury as the result of a Departmental Inquiry into the audit system in Ireland ordered by their Lordships in 1903. His position is the same as the inspector of audits in England, save that the Local Government Board require him to undertake certain audits in addition to his office work as General Audit Inspector. Mr. Drury ha been appointed by the Irish Government to audit the accounts of petty session clerks, for which he receives £50 per an- 258 num, but the Board do not regard this is outside the duties of a civil servant.