COLONEL NOLANOn behalf of the hon. Member for West Clare, I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the usual statutory notice was served on the Guardians of the Castlelea Union by Lord De Freyne, or his agent, immediately preceding the evictions in September last of Thomas Barrett; Bridget Barrett, willow; Mary Moran, widow; Pat Maham; Peter Hunt; Michael Dare, and others, to the number of 13 families; and, if so, what was the date of such notice; did the Guardians make any, and what, provision for sheltering those people, numbering 50 or more, whose houses 1278 were dismantled and burned by orders of Mr. R. A. Blakeney, J.P., agent of Lord De Freyne; and if the usual notices were not served, will the Government take steps to compel the Guardians of Castlelea Union to enforce the penalty for such neglect on the part of Lord De Freyne?
§ MR. ASQUITH(who replied) said: The notice referred to was duly served on the relieving officer in every case of eviction under warrant for possession which took place on this estate during the month of September, but in cases where persons found in forcible possession were dislodged by the agent no notice was served immediately prior to such dislodgment. The persons specially named in the question belong to the latter class, though I am informed that prior to their original ejectment in 1891 and 1892 the required notices were served on the relieving officer. There is, I understand, no legal provision for the service of a notice in cases where a landowner resumes or retakes possession of lands without legal process. In reply to the second paragraph, I am informed by the Local Government Board that the Guardians were not called upon to make any provision for sheltering the families who were evicted, and that they gave a, liberal giant of outdoor relief in the only case that came before them.