§ MR. BLAKEasked the Secretary to the Treasury, If it be the fact that loans and instalments of loans, under the Irish Reproductive Loan Fund Act, have been paid in some cases more than three years ago to either the sheriffs or the solicitors employed by the Board of Works in Ireland to recover such amounts, and that the parties who have paid such sums of money are still kept on the Arrear Lists, and returned as defaulters, the sheriffs or the solicitors so employed retaining the money in their possession; and, if so, if he will call on the Board of Works for explanation as to the reason why they allow such remissness and misappropriation of money on the part of persons employed by them; and, if he will direct immediate stops to be taken to compel the latter to hand over the money in their possession, and have the names of the people who have paid removed from the Arrear Lists?
§ MR. COURTNEYSir, my attention was some time ago directed to the point raised by the hon. Member. Certain local agents of the Board of Works have retained in their hands for an undue period moneys collected for the Reproductive Loan Fund. Efforts have been 711 made to put a stop to this practice; but as they have not hitherto been attended with that success which could be desired, more stringent measures, including, if necessary, legal proceedings, will be adopted. In any case, I will take steps to insure that people who have actually paid should not be subject to the stigma of being branded as defaulters merely because their money has, through no fault of theirs, not yet reached its destination.