§ MR. CAREW (Kildare, N.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Has the attention of the Local Government Board been drawn to the three several Resolutions of the Celbridge Board of Guardians urging the Local Government Board to send down an Inspector to report upon the scheme of labourers' cottages in that union; whether he is aware that, though the farmers of the Babraheen Division of the said union made a representation more than 20 months ago, 16 months were allowed to elapse before the Inspector held an inquiry, and five months have passed since the date of the inquiry without a Report being made; and, what steps he will take to prevent the Act becoming a dead letter in the union?
THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet) (who replied)said, the Local Government Board had received the Resolutions adopted by the Board of Guardians of the Celbridge Union. With regard to the Provisional Orders sanctioning these schemes of the Guardians, the Local Government Board were unable to take any steps until they received some necessary particulars, with which they were not furnished until a fortnight ago. The petition for a Provisional Order authorizing the erection of cottages was received 902 about 12 months ago; but this scheme, and also three others lodged in October, were incomplete and not ready for inquiry until the end of the year. The inquiry was held in January last, and the Guardians were informed of the result in April, and several matters were pointed out which it was necessary should be attended to before the Board could make the Order. All the Orders required by the Board were not received until the 15th of August. The Local Government Board were now proceeding with the matter as quickly as circumstances would permit.