§ 7. Sir JOHN LONSDALEasked if the Chief Secretary's attention has been directed to the Report of Mr. C. E. Browne, auditor to the Local Government Board, of his audit of the accounts of the Sligo Corporation for the year ending 31st March, 1912; if he will state what action has been taken upon that Report by the Local Government Board and the result of such action; and if he can indicate any 301 means by which the minority in Sligo who pay the bulk of the rates can control wasteful expenditure and inefficient administration?
§ Mr. RUSSELLThe attention of my right hon. Friend has been called to the Report referred to. The duty of disallowing payments by the corporation, which are illegal by reason of negligence or misconduct or otherwise, rests with the auditor in the first instance, his ruling being subject to appeal to the Local Government Board. On the occasion of the audit in question the auditor made five such disallowances, and in three of these cases the amounts disallowed were made good without appeal. Appeals were lodged against the remaining two surcharges, and in both cases the surcharges were upheld, and the amounts have been paid, a reduction, however, beeig made in the amount disallowed in one of the cases. It is open to any ratepayer to attend at the audit of the corporation's accounts and lodge objections with the auditor to any payment included in the accounts under review.