§ DR. TANNERI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the attention of the Local Government Board in Ireland has been directed to the bad condition of the labourers' cottages in the Macroom Union; whether it is a fact that, owing to faulty construction, many of these cottages exhibit extraordinary leakage and consequent damage from rain making its way into the cottages at the point of joining of the chimney stack and roof; whether he is aware that attention has been frequently directed to these defects; and whether the Local Government Board will take steps to ensure the alleged damage being rectified?
§ MR. BRYCE (for Mr. J. MORLEY)The attention of the Local Government Board has not been called to the condition of the houses in this Union, and they are unable to say whether the statement in paragraph 2 is correct. But the Board have been informed by the clerk of the Union that in all cases where the attention of the Guardians has been drawn to the state of repair of the cottages they have directed their engineer to inspect and report to them and that the Guardians have entered into contracts for carrying out the necessary repairs. The responsibility for keeping the cottages in proper repair rests entirely with the Guardians.