asked the Minister for Defence if he is aware that it is alleged that in a raid made on the house of Mr. Patrick Quigley, Lacken, New Ross, Co. Wexford, by National troops on the 24th February, 1923, a lady's expanding gold wristlet watch, £2 10s. in cash, a gent's gold albert chain, and a double-barrelled shot-gun, were stolen by National troops; that Mr. quigley applied for the return of those articles, and, failing their return, compensation to the amount of £20; that now, after a lapse of two years, Mr. Quigley is informed by the Army Finance Department that all efforts to trace the missing articles or establish the identity of the culprits have failed, and that no compensation can be paid from Army Funds, and that Mr. Quigley's only remedy is a prosecution of the offenders under ordinary law, and whether the Minister will reconsider the claim to compensation in this case.

I regret that it is impracticable for me to entertain a claim of the kind made by Mr. Quigley. Every effort was, however, made immediately after the raid to trace the missing articles on the assumption that they had been taken by troops, but without success.

When the Minister says that every effort was made to trace the articles, does he mean that every effort was made to identify the people concerned at the time, or is he aware that no chance was given to identify those parties for six months after the committal of the alleged offence?

Immediately the matter was reported after the raid, the troops engaged in the operation were searched and every endeavour was made in the barracks to trace the articles, but without success.