§ Mr. GINNELLasked whether the Local Government Board for Ireland held that the object of their supervision of public accounts was correct bookkeeping, not honesty, and that, so long as the accounts of expenditure were correctly kept, they would not intervene if work for which payment were made were not done; and, if this was not their view, what action they had taken, or proposed to take, with reference to unearned payments recently brought under their notice?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe reply to the first part of the question is in the negative.. If complaints as to definite instances of unearned payments are made to the Local Government auditors at the time of the audit and are supported by satisfactory evidence, and if on investigation the items objected to prove to be unfounded payments, the auditors will deal with the matter according to law.