§ Mr. E. KELLYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what are the conditions of the contract let by the Board of Works, acting on behalf of the Imperial Government, for the completion of the houses for ex-service men at Killester, county Dublin; how many tenders were. received, and from whom, and the amount and conditions of each tender; whether the contract now let is on a lump sum basis, and, if so, the amount of same and, if on a time and material basis, the percentage allowed for completion; if there is any condition imposed on the contractor to employ ex-se: vice men, when such men are available and suitable; how many ex-service men have been dismissed from the Killester works since 27th April last; and how many men are now employed, distinguishing the number of ex-service men and civilians?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODThe contract is a lump sum contract with the usual conditions except that it contains special provisions for the employment of ex-service men. Those provisions required the contractor to take over the whole of the workmen, both skilled and unskilled, who were employed on the work at the date on which the contract took effect, or such of them as the architect might direct, and imposed upon him the further obligation to continue to employ ex-service men during the completion of the work to the extent of not less than 50 per cent. of the total number of men actually employed or such greater proportion as the architect might from time to time decide. Four tenders were received, the conditions of each being practically the same. The tender accepted was that of Mr. James A. Campbell, who undertook to complete the work for a lump sum payment of £102,408 11s. 6d. It is, for obvious reasons, impossible for me to divulge the names of the contractors whose tenders were not accepted. I have no definite information as to the number of ex-service men who have been discharged since the commencement of the1910W contract; but I have no reason to believe that any man has been dismissed on account of his being an ex-service man The number of men at present employed is about 560, and the condition which binds the contractor to employ ex-service men to the extent of at least one-half of the total number of men employed is being scrupulously observed.