I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that Mr. Patrick Haren, when sub-postmaster at Ballinskelligs, county Kerry, in consequence of the increasing postal business, spent £50 on building a second office, having been promised that he would get rent for it; that, when the building was finished, he applied for the rent, but received no reply from the Post Office authorities; and whether, in view of the fact that the sub-postmastership has now been transferred, through no fault or incapacity on the part of Mr. Haren, he will take steps to compensate Mr. Haren for the expense to which he was put in erecting this office.

It was a condition of Mr. Haren's appointment that he should provide the necessary accommodation for the post office busi- ness, and I understand that he altered his premises from time to time for this purpose; but I cannot find that any promise was ever made to him that he would be allowed rent in consideration of such expenditure, and indeed it would be contrary to practice to make any such allowance.