§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he would ascertain from the official auditors' reports and state the number of instances in the last six years in which the Mullingar District Asylum Committee, the Mullingar District Council, and the Mullingar Board of Guardians, respectively, in giving a contract rejected a lower tender and accepted a higher, with, in the case of each institution, the number of instances in which the special reason stated was to help an Irish industry, and the number of instances in which an Irish product was rejected and a non-Irish one at a higher price accepted?
§ The CHIEF SECRETARY for IRELAND (Mr. Birrell)From the auditor's reports it appears that for the years ended March, 1906 and 1907 the Mullingar Rural District Council, and for the years ended March, 1905, 1906, 1907, and 1908 the Mullingar Board of Guardians accepted unnecessarily high tenders for the supply of books, forms, and other articles, and that when auditing each half-year's accounts the auditor surcharged the amount of the loss against the members who voted for the higher tender. These amounts were recovered and lodged to the credit of the accounts. The auditor's reports do not contain the information asked for in the remainder of the question.