asked the Minister for Local Government if he would refer to Questions 223 and 224 on the Order Paper on 31st October, 1951, and whether he has read in the issue of a provincial newspaper published on 10th November, 1951, the report of a meeting of the Droichead Nua Town Commissioners; and whether it is in the public interest for the public business of the commissioners to be transacted in private premises and for persons who are neither members nor officials of such local authority to take part in such proceedings; and if he will issue instructions to prevent recurrences of such a nature.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Droichead Nua Town Commissioners.
I have read the report referred to by the Deputy. The letting of local authority halls is an executive function performable by the county manager. The law requires that meetings of town commissioners must be held at a place appointed within the town. No place is prescribed for the performance of executive functions and it would not be practicable to prescribe that such functions should be performed in a particular place. In this instance a draw to decide to which of four organisations a hall would be let appears to have been held in premises other than the local authority offices, the name being drawn by a person who was not a member or an officer of the local authority. The method adopted by the manager for deciding the case was one within his discretion and I note that the town commissioners who discussed the matter subsequently, did not consider that any action was called for by them. I have decided that intervention by me, as suggested by the Deputy, would not be warranted.