§ MR. J. F. X. O'BRIEN (Mayo, S.)I beg to ask the Attorney General for Ireland whether his attention has been repeatedly called by the Poor Law Board of Claremorris, County Mayo, to the 153 distress now prevailing in the Ballyhaunis dispensary district of that Union, the poverty of which might be gauged by the valuation £12,127, while the population is 12,800; whether he has received a copy of the resolution passed by the Poor Law Board that "unless relief works be opened immediately hundreds of deaths will occur before many days;" and whether he will undertake to give prompt attention to the conditions of the Ballyhaunis dispensary district?
§ MR. MADDENThe resolution referred to in the question has been received, and is now under consideration.
§ MR. CRILLYI beg to ask the Attorney General for Ireland if he is aware that numbers of poor people are vainly seeking for relief-work in the parish of Kilcommon-Erris, County Mayo; that this parish contains 472 holdings, each of an annual valuation of £4 or under; and if there is any Local Authority competent to afford immediate assistance; and, if not, will steps be taken to relieve the existing distress as quickly as possible?
§ MR. MADDENThere are several relief works in actual progress in the electoral division which contains the parish of Kilcommon. Employment is given to a considerable number of persons on these works.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)I beg to ask the Attorney General for Ireland whether it is the intention of the Government to ask for a further Vote to complete the schemes of railway extension considered urgently necessary in the poorer districts of Ireland? The hon. Member also asked whether the right hon. and learned Gentleman is aware that of the 1,000 families in the district of Gweedore, 800 are necessarily dependent for food for four months in the year, from May to August, upon meal supplied on credit by merchants and shopkeepers; that, owing to the failure of last year's potato crop, this meal supply on credit commenced in October last, and has now exhausted the resources of the shopkeepers, who are being compelled to refuse farther credit; and that some 5,000 persons are in absolute destitution; whether the Government intend to start any railway works 154 in the neighbourhood; and, if so, when; whether any employment of any kind has yet been started on relief works, such as road making, or otherwise; and what steps have been taken to avert starvation within the present month?
§ MR. MADDENIn all probability the sum available under the Act of 1889 will not cover the scheme of railway construction which has been undertaken, and in that case a further Vote must, of course, be asked for.
§ MR. SEXTONMay I ask whether the Government intend to take any steps for the relief of distress in the Gweedore district, where some 800 families, including 5,000 persons, are in a state of absolute destitution?
§ MR. MADDENThe circumstances of the Gweedore district are receiving careful consideration, and inquiries are proceeding. As regards the suggested railway works the Government have no funds at their disposal for the purpose.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYHow soon may we expect that the Chief Secretary's fund will be utilised?
§ MR. DALTONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the system for administering relief is viewed with considerable dissatisfaction, not only in Donegal, but throughout Ireland; and has he seen a letter from the Rev. Father M'Fadden, in which he declares that no proper steps have been taken to meet the distress at Gweedore?
§ MR. MADDENI am not aware of the opinions of Father M'Fadden. The action of the Government in dealing with distress in Ireland is, I am thankful to say, regarded by my countrymen generally with very different feelings from those attributed to them by the hon. and learned Member.
§ MR. SEXTONThe question on the Paper points out that there are 800 families in that district who have no means of living. There are £50,000 in Dublin Castle, and I wish to know how soon the inquiries instituted on behalf of the Government are likely to result in the provision of relief works?
§ MR. MADDENI am not able to give specific information as to the distribution of the fund raised by my right hon. Friend. It is not for the House to infer that most active steps are not being 155 taken by the Government in carrying out a system of relief.