§ MR. COGAN (Wicklow, E.)To ask the Secretary to the Treasury if the provisions of Section 59, Sub-section 2, of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, requiring that an annual audited Return of the accounts showing the receipts and payments of the Local Taxation (Ireland) Account for each year, should be laid before Parliament, had been complied with; and, if not, will he state the reason why the statutory obligation has not been complied with; and will he now undertake that the accounts, as required by the statute, will be presented without further delay.
§ (Answered by Mr. McKenna.) I find that the annual accounts have not been laid before Parliament as directed by the Act. The omission appears to be due to a misunderstanding as to the department on which the responsibility rests. I agree that the accounts should be laid without further delay, and the Treasury are communicating with the Irish Government in the matter.