To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that thirty to thirty-five large duplicate books (the originals being kept in Dublin), containing the grades, salaries, and other particulars of 16,000 to 18,000 Irish teachers, are biennially forwarded to the Audit Office, London, by the Education Office, Dublin; that average attendances of schools and quarterly payments to these teachers are entered in the books of the Irish Education Office and again in London in these duplicate books by Audit Office officials; that amending lists prepared in Dublin, necessitating much time and labour, are sent quarterly from the Irish Education Office to the Audit Office, London, and the amending particulars thus furnished entered by Audi Office officials in these duplicate books; that on ever Irish account audited in London duplicate establishment books, and in many cases various duplicate records of other kinds, are necessarily kept under the present system of audit; and that the time and labour involved in duplication alone could be avoided if the work were done in Dublin by a permanent local staff such as obtains in the case of numerous English accounts, he will explain how the absence of a permanent local staff to conduct the audit of the Irish accounts in Ireland does not result in duplication of work, inefficiency of audit, and waste of public money.

I beg to refer the hon. Member to my reply of the 30th ultimo. For the reason there given these records would be required if the audit of these accounts were conducted in Ireland.