§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) 1128W if he will state, for the period from the establishment of the Department to the 31st March, 1914, the total cost to the State of the Department as such, as distinguished from the pre-existing institutions over which it has been given control; the total of the contributions made in the period by the Department towards technical schemes and other purposes in each county and county borough in Ireland; the total of the contributions made in the period by each county council, borough council, and other local body towards those schemes and purposes; the entire amount so contributed locally in the period; the area under tillage, the development of mineral or other resources, the new industries founded, and the population in each county when the Department was established and at date of the latest estimate, respectively; and the particular improvements in each county which the Department claims to be due to its efforts and a return for the outlay?
§ Mr. T. W. RUSSELLAs most of the information asked for can be obtained from the Annual General Reports of the Department, the Vice-President does not see his way to authorise the compilation of a special Return of the elaborate kind suggested. The cost and labour involved in the preparation of such a Return would be out of all proportion to its utility.