§ MR. CLANCYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state the number of labourers' cottages in respect of which schemes have been adopted by the Boards of Guardians in the various Poor Law Unions of the County of Dublin, but which have not vet been erected; the dates on which the schemes referred to 537 were respectively adopted; and the explanation of the delay that has occurred in carrying the schemes into execution? I will also ask the right hon. Gentleman at the same time whether his attention has been directed to the delays incident to the working of the Labourers' Acts in Ireland; and whether he will take into his favourable consideration the propriety of giving facilities to a measure designed to put an end to those delays, if introduced by a private Member, or of introducing such a measure himself in the course of the present Session?
MR. J. MORLEYI am informed by the Local Government Board that the number of cottages referred to is 120, and that the schemes were made by the Guardians in July and August of last year and, in respect of one division of the North Dublin Union, so late as January last. After the adoption of a scheme, the Acts; require other preliminaries to be gone through by the the Board of Guardians before the scheme, can he submitted for the approval of the Local Government Board, e.g., advertisements have to be published, notices served on the owners and occupiers of the lands affected by the scheme. All this takes about three months. In the case of the Celbridge Union, although the scheme was made by the Guardians in July last, it has not yet been lodged with tire Local Government Board, and in other eases in which schemes have been received by tire Local Government Board dates have already been fixed for the holding of the necessary inquiries by their Inspectors. This latter observation applies to the schemes for Balrothery Union, and for two of the divisions of the North Dublin Union.
§ MR. CLANCYMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, as these delays often extend to a year and a-half or two years, he will consider the propriety of amending the law?
MR. J. MORLEYThe delay more often than not is due to the Boards of Guardians rather than to the Local Government Board.
§ MR. T. HARRINGTON (Dublin, Harbour)Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether the scheme for the North Dublin Union was not adopted by the Guardians, whether the occupier of the land offered no opposition, and that the delay in advertising the scheme is 538 not due to the Local Government Board and the Board of Works?