§ Mr. BYRNEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that by the Dublin Corporation Act of 1900 it was provided that the Commissioner of Valua- 752W tion, an official of the Government, was, as soon as conveniently might be, to proceed with a general revaluation of rateable hereditaments within the city of Dublin; that he delayed proceeding with the work for six years and only then commenced it in compliance with a mandamus of the King's Bench, and completed it on. the 1st April, 1916; and whether, in view of this lapse of sixteen years, he will explain why the Government deducted from the Local Taxation Account the greater portion of the moiety of £11,000, payable by the local authority under the Act aforesaid, before the municipal council had been made acquainted with the facts or afforded an opportunity of formally submitting their appeal for the payment of their liability in instalments, spread over a period of at least five years, and why His Majesty's Government are placing a work which it took the Government from 1900 to 1916 to initiate and complete, and which is calculated to be a standard for fifty years to come, on the shoulders of those ratepayers who are already bearing the burden of existing Imperial taxation, instead of making it lighter by the acceptance of the very reasonable suggestion which it was the intention of the municipal council to submit for the consideration of His Majesty's Government if they had been afforded an opportunity?
§ Mr. DUKEAs I explained in the answer to the hon. Member for the St. Patrick's Division of Dublin on the 5th instant, the repayment by the corporation of its moiety of these costs fell due at latest when the work was completed, and the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury have consented to extend the payment over two years. The wishes of the corporation were fully communicated to the Treasury before a decision was arrived at.