§ Mr. PATRICK O'BRIENasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the inability of the Irish Insurance Commissioners to defend their refusal to sanction payment to Mr. Doheny at the rate of £6 monthly, at which they had permitted him to act as clerk of the Kilkenny Insurance Committee for two periods of six and eight weeks after the said rate had been made known to them, disclosed by their reply, which related only to the first six months and had no connection with the remainder of what the reply terms the whole period, he will communicate with the Commissioners his opinion that sanction for the said rate for the two 600W periods should no longer be withheld; and, if not, whether he will state on what grounds he is prepared to uphold a course which the Commissioners themselves cannot uphold?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI am informed that the Irish Insurance Commissioners told the committee in question on two occasions prior to the termination of the clerk's appointment for six months at a salary of £5 a month that they could not agree to an increase in this rate of payment. There was no misapprehension such as the hon. Member suggests, and in reply to the latter part of the question I have nothing to add to the answer which I gave to him on the 17th ultimo.