§ MR. J. P. FARRELLI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that, on 26th March last, the Local Government Board wrote to the Longford County Council, intimating to them for the first time that their estate duty grant of £1,428 14s. 11d., and a further sum of £36 7s. 1d., out of the agricultural grant had been deducted to make good to the Commissioners of National Debt the loss which had accrued in respect of land purchase in county Longford; will 885 he say why this announcement was kept back for two years, and why it was only then made when the county council had made out its financial budget for the current year, and could not without great loss of time and money recast their rates; and will he see that in future transactions of this kind the council will get due notice so as to have time to examine into the alleged deficits.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe fact is as stated in the first part of the Question. The amount which should have been deducted last year is £659 8s. 4d. I have already explained that by a clerical oversight, which is regretted, the certificates were not forwarded to the Local Government Board in time for the deduction to be made for last year's payment. I have also stated that I am in communication with the Treasury with the object of devising some means whereby county councils may receive, before striking their rates, notice of the amount coming to them from the Local Taxation Account.