asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether his attention has been drawn to the report of the Auditor of the accounts of the Monaghan Urban District Council, dated the 21st February, 1924, in which the weekly wage of 47s. 6d. paid to the Council's employees is described as " extravagant," and a surcharge is threatened if such payments are found at the next audit to have been continued; whether he is aware that workers employed by private persons in Monaghan Town as railway labourers, builders' groundmen and hodsmen, etc., receive wages of 45s. 6d., 47s., 48s., and 50s. a week; and whether he considers that the fact that an Auditor differs from the local authority in his judgment as to what constitutes a normal, reasonable or expedient payment is sufficient to constitute a payment " unfounded" within the meaning of Section 12 of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1871.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - MONAGHAN WORKERS' WAGES.
TOMAS MAC EOIN
The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative.
I have no information as to the rates of wages paid to the employees mentioned in the second part of the question, but it is of course open to any interested party to bring any material information under the notice of the Auditor.
Under Section 12 of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1871, an auditor is empowered to disallow and strike out all payments, charges and allowances which are made contrary to law or which he deems to be unfounded, and he has full power under the statute to review all payments which he considers to be excessive.
Does the Minister say that the term "unfounded" includes the Auditor's view of what may be extravagant?
As all those cases may come before me on appeal, I am not in a position at this stage to make any ruling on a matter of that kind.
Has the Minister issued any instruction or given any suggestion to the Auditors as to what is extravagant or what is normal?
No.