§ MR. FIELDTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the persons employed by the clerk of the urban district of Rathmines and Rathgar to perform the duties in connection with elections of councillors for the urban district of Rathmines and Rathgar, are the accountant, engineers, sanitary, and other officials of the said urban district; whether, seeing that these officials, are withdrawn from their ordinary duties for which they are paid out of the rates of the urban district, any surcharge has been made in respect of same; whether it is customary for these officials to canvass electors on behalf of the outgoing councillors; and whether, seeing that the corporation of Dublin, and other public bodies, prohibit their officials from taking any active part in elections under the Local Government Act, and in view of the desirability of future elections of councillors for the urban district of Rathmines and Rathgar being conducted in an independent manner, he will cause an order to be issued by the Local Government Board prohibiting the employment of these officials in any capacity connected with. The elections.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) The Local Government Board have no information as to the persons employed by the clerk of the urban district of Rathmines and Rathgar, or by the town clerk of Dublin, to assist in the conduct of Local Government elections, nor have they any information as to the alleged practice of canvassing by officials. The Board are not aware that any surcharge has been made in the matter. They have no authority to issue an order restricting the powers of returning officers in the manner suggested in the Question.