§ MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether he can state the nature and source of the information on which the Irish Local Government Board acted when they declined to put Longford Union in the list of Scheduled Unions; and, whether there is any objection to produce the Report or Reports which affirmed that there was no exceptional distress in Longford Union?
§ MR. J. LOWTHER,in reply, said, that when an application was made by the Board of Guardians to have a Union included in the list of Scheduled Unions, it was referred by the Local Government Board to the Inspector of the district for his Report. On receiving that Report, the Local Government Board made a communication to the Irish Government, which then decided whether or not the Union should be added to the list of Scheduled Unions. In the case of the Longford Union, on the first application some time ago, the Report of the Inspector and the recommendation of the Local Government Board were unfavourable to its addition to the Schedule. The fact, however, of a Union having been in a position at one time which did not justify its being added to the Schedule was no reason why, later on, when circumstances rendered it desirable, it should not be so added. In regard to Longford Union, on the receipt of another application, the Inspector reported that the Union might with advantage be included in the Schedule, and it was now included accordingly. The Inspector's Reports were in many cases of a highly confidential nature, and it would be inexpedient to produce them.