§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether it is a fact that between 15 and 20 per 695 cent. of the inmates of Stranorlar Union in Donegal have been removed from Great Britain to that Union, although some of them had actually been born, or had spent most of their lives, in the former country?
§ *MR. MADDENFrom the Report received from the clerk of the Stranorlar Union it appears that there are at present 63 inmates in the workhouse, and that of these there are nine who have been removed from Great Britain; also that it is alleged that the circumstances connected with these nine cases are as indicated in the concluding portion of the question.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether it is a fact that the wife of James M'Cormick, with their children, two of whom were born in Glasgow, were last month sent, under a Scotch removal warrant, to Stranorlar Union Workhouse, although the father was, and was known to the Scotch Poor Law Authorities to be, in good employment at steel works at Rotherham, in England?
§ *MR. MADDENThe removal of the woman referred to, and her three children, was made under a warrant dated 24th December last, she having been deserted by her husband six weeks before the removal took place. There is no information to show whether the Scotch Poor Law Authorities were aware that the husband was employed in England. He has, however, since been arrested at the instance of the Stranorlar Board of Guardians, and sentenced to three months' imprisonment for not maintaining his family.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware of the existing anomaly in the law relating to removal of the poor between Great Britain and Ireland; and whether he proposes to take any, and what, stops to relieve the Irish Unions of the burden now thrown upon them?
§ *MR. MADDENMy right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary is aware of the grievance referred to; but fears that he can add nothing to his reply to a similar question put by the hon. Member for South Londonderry on 22nd March, 1889.