§ MR. HEALYasked Mr. Solicitor General for Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the effect of the extension to Ireland of the enactment conferring the franchise on the occupier of a portion of a dwelling-house when such portion is used as a separate dwelling, even though it may not be separately rated, and to the danger that such provision may in Ireland be rendered nugatory by the difference between the English and Irish Law relating to claims to be rated; whether it is the fact that, owing to the provisions of the 30 and 31 Vic. c. 102, s. 3, subs. 3, it is still necessary for an occupier in such cases to be rated, and that in England he can have himself rated by simply lodging a claim 1460 to be rated, whereas in Ireland, owing to the decision in the case of Brangan v. Shaw, a claim to be rated under such circumstances would be quite useless, the Board of Guardians, on whom such claim must be served, having no power to rate the claimant when there is no separate valuation of the portion of the premises occupied by him; whether the result of this state of things is that, notwithstanding the express provision of the Act of Parliament, a separate valuation will be still required in all cases, the necessary steps to have the premises separately valued involving the loss of at least a year, during which the occupier is deprived of the franchise; and, whether it is proposed to provide a remedy for this state of things in the proposed Registration Act for Ireland?
§ THE SOLICITOR GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. WALKER)The subject referred to in this Question was some time since very carefully considered, and the result of the opinions arrived at was that the difficulty suggested could not arise having regard to the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1884, and the enactments thereby incorporated and extended to Ireland. I do not think that separate rating is now necessary in England in the case put.