§ 26. Mr. MULDOONasked whether the Development Commissioners decided last 3'ear to recommend a Grant of £2,000 to> the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society; whether this was determined' upon in the face of a hostile report by the-Irish Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction; whether the Development Commissioners made it a condition of the Grant that the societies'" work should be confined to agricultural co-operation and that it should be carried on without the possibility of any suspicion of political partisanship; whether subsequently, to secure this end, the Development Commissioners themselves applied" to twenty members of the Irish Agricultural Council to act upon the committee-of the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society; whether nineteen of these gentlemen refused to act and sent a strong protest to the Development Commissioners; for asking them to assist in the distribution of a Grant to which they were opposed; whether the committee of the-Irish Agricultural Organisation Society consists of twenty-four members; by what authority the Development Commissioners, a purely advisory body, embarked upon these proceedings; whether they were unanimous in their opinions; and whether they have since asked anyone else to serve upon the committee in question in order-to distribute this money?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Masterman)The Development Commissioners recommended? a Grant generally as stated in the question, upon condition that the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society agreed to add to their existing committee eleven persons nominated by the Commissioners. The Treasury asked the Commissioners whom they proposed to nominate, and the Commissioners accordingly made private inquiry of various gentlemen whether they would accept nomination if offered. Eleven of these were asked, and ten declined. I am unable to say whether or not the Commissioners were unanimous in their opinions. The answer to the last sentence of the question is in the negative.