§ MR. JOHN O'CONNOR (Kildare, N.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware 266 that it has been admitted by the clerk of the Rathmines and Rathgar Urban District Council that certain vouchers were not in the offices of the council, and so were not open to the inspection of Messrs. O'Ratigan, Sullivan, and O'Driscoll, as required by Article 27 of the Public Bodies Order, 1904, during the seven days preceding the audit which commenced in Rathmines Town Hall on 25th October, 1907, the said vouchers relating to the accounts of the Rathmines and Rathgar Urban District Council for the year ended 31st March, 1907; and will he say whose business it is to see that Article 27 is carried out.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) I refer to my Answer to the hon. Member's previous Question on this subject (14th April). The Answer to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative. The vouchers in question were not necessary for the purposes of the audit, as the payments to which they referred had already been passed by the taxing officer of the House of Commons. It is the duty of the clerk of the council to carry out the provisions of Article 27 of the Public Bodies Order. This article may be en-enforced by mandamus on the application of any person interested.