asked the Minister for Finance whethere he is now in a position to repay to the Tipperary (North Riding) County Council the sum of £5,000 which was paid in compensation, through garnishee order, to the representatives of the late District Inspector Hunt, R.I.C.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - COUNTY COUNCIL AND GARNISHEE ORDER.
DOMHNALL O MUIRGHEASA
The question of the refund to certain local authorities, including the Tipperary (North Riding) County Council, of the amounts paid by them on foot of decrees awarded in respect of criminal injury to the person, is at present being investigated by my Department and forms part of an adjustment which is being effected with the British Government. It has not been found possible to dispose of the matter earlier because of the fact that the apportionment of liability between the Saorstát and British Governments has been difficult to ascertain. Further, the matter is complicated by the fact that there are certain local authorities from whom refunds are due on foot of decrees awarded in respect of injury or damage done prior to the 21st January, 1919. In such cases the local authorities concerned are liable for the amounts of the decrees. These decrees have been discharged by the British Government and have been taken into account in the adjustment referred to above, which clearly can only be dealt with as a whole. Considerable progress has, however, been made with the adjustment and it is practically certain that the matter will be disposed of by the end of the current financial year.
Is the Minister aware that he gave me a practically similar answer two years ago to the same question?
A tribute to his consistency.