§ Mr. LARDNERasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if ho will state for each of the years 1911, 1912, and J913 the amount certified by the auditor as payable to the county council of the county of Monaghan in respect of the Capitation Grant for lunatics, and also the amount actually paid in each of those years; how much has been paid in respect of the year 1914; whether he can state what the deficit in respect of this year, to be borne by the ratepayers, will probably be; and whether in face of this annually increasing deficit, he can hold out any hope that the Government will take steps to relieve the local authorities from this burden?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe following statement shows the amounts certified to be payable and the actual payments made to Monaghan County Council from the Local Taxation Account in respect of the cost of maintenance of lunatics:—
— Amount certified to be Payable by the Auditor. Amount Paid. £ s. d. £ s. d. For the year ended 31st March, 1911, but paid in the financial year 1911–12 4,205 10 8 3,629 2 1 For the year ended 31st March. 1912, but paid in the financial year 1912–13 4,284 8 8 3,845 6 5 For the year ended 31st March, 1913, but paid in the financial year 1913–14 4,171 5 2 3,705 19 0 For the year ended 31st March, 1914, but paid in the financial year 1914–15 Audited claims 1,600 0 0 not yet received "on account" The income of the branch of the Local Taxation Account from which these payments are made is not ascertainable until towards the end of the financial year, and no estimate of the state of the account for the year 1914–15 is at present practicable. I am not in a position to make any state-men with regard to the last paragraph of the question.