asked the Minister for Defence if he will state when it is proposed to pay the account due to Mr. Joseph A. Mellett, of Swinford, Co. Mayo, for goods supplied the Army from March, 1923, to November, 1923.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. [ORAL ANSWERS.] - A SWINFORD ARMY ACCOUNT.
Nothing appears to be due to Mr. Mellett, whose accounts, as presented, have been paid. He will, however, be communicated with on the matter.
In view of the fact that practically a similar answer has been given to about 80 per cent. of questions of a similar nature during the last twelve or eighteen months, will the President promise to do something with this Department in order to put it on a proper basis? If my information is correct, and I have no reason to doubt it, this account has been submitted on six different occasions and was actually passed and signed by the Quartermaster in charge.
I have been looking into this matter. As the Deputy knows, there was almost an innumerable quantity of these accounts sent in. They were so numerous, in fact, as to absorb a very large staff for the purpose of dealing with them. I have been informed that within a month it is anticipated that all those accounts will be discharged.
I would like to remind the President that a similar statement was made two months before the 31st March by the late Minister for Defence, who said that all accounts would be finished by the 31st March.
Deputy McGrath has covered the point that I desired to draw attention to.