§ MR. NOLAN (Louth, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Local Government Board auditor has disallowed the payment out of the rates of expenses incurred by the Ardee town commissioners in the regulation of certain fairs within their jurisdiction; and whether he will, by legislation or otherwise, secure that the Commissioners shall not be driven to pay out of their own pockets money spent in the discharge of their public duties or to raise it by a house-to-house collection.
MR. BRYCEThe hon. Member is under a misapprehension in supposing that the Local Government Board's auditor made any disallowance in this matter. The auditor's attention, however, was called to the payments in question, and he put a note of caution on the expenditure book, to the effect that there was no statutory authority for defraying out of the rates the cost of advertising fairs, save in cases coming under Section 10 of the Local Government Board (Ireland) Act, 1872. I am not prepared to say whether or not legislation on the subject is desirable. I am told that it would certainly give rise to controversy.
MR. BRYCEI am unable to say. The auditor has called the attention of the local authorities to the fact that there is no statutory warrant for these payments, but whether he has any discretion which he can properly use I am unable to say without notice.