Captain COOPERasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state whether the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction have been obliged to resort to legal process in order to obtain repayment of loans advanced to credit societies; what are the names of the societies from which repayment was recovered by this means, and the amounts respectively sued for and recovered?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Department were obliged to request the Chief Crown Solicitor to take such action as might be necessary to recover loans advanced to some credit societies. The amount recovered in this way was £1,375. The Department do not consider that it would be in the interest of these societies or would serve any useful purpose to publish their names.
Captain COOPERCan the right hon. Gentleman say if the Department have any objection to giving the names and the figures to the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society which organised and founded these societies?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI do not think that there ought to be any objection. I will inquire.
Captain CRAIGCan the right hon. Gentleman say when he expects it will be possible for the Vice-President of the Department to attend in his place in the House?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThat depends on a variety of circumstances over which I have no control.