§ MR. MOOREasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, If he will state the reasons why the townlands of Kilmanahan and Kilnamack West, distant from Clonmel Union Work-house two and a half miles, were severed from that union and added to Clogheen Union, being distant from the latter union workhouse nine and a half miles; whether there is any sufficient reason for causing the paupers to travel nine and a half miles to a workhouse where they are unknown, whilst there is one within two and a half miles; whether the Report of the Poor Law Inspector, when desired to investigate the matter, was favourable to the continued severance of these townlands or otherwise; and whe- 77 ther the Government intend to take any action in the matter?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH, in reply, said, the arrangement to which the hon. Gentleman referred was made in 1849 by the Boundaries Commissioners. It was made on various grounds, one of which was that the townlands in question belonged to the proprietor of a considerable portion of the rest of the union to which they were annexed. The arrangement having lasted for so long a time it would be very inconvenient to alter it, especially as regarded the registry of births, deaths, and marriages. An inquiry, however, had been made by one of the Inspectors attached to the Local Government Board to whom the ratepayers made a statement strongly in favour of retaining the present arrangement. The Local Government Board did not therefore contemplate any alteration of the existing state of things; but he would inquire further as to the necessity or otherwise of taking any action.