§ MR. J. G. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been directed to a resolution unanimously passed by the Board of Guardians of the Glenties Union, on the 29th March, urgently pressing on the Government the necessity of opening relief works in the district, complaining that inquiries into the condition of the people had not been made by any Local Government Board Inspector, stating that the poor rate in some districts already amounts to 6s. in the pound, and likewise stating that comparatively few people in the Union have taken advantage of the Seed Act this year, owing to the fact that the seed supplied in 1880 cost 8s. 6d. per hundredweight, never came to maturity, and put the Union to an expenditure of £4,000; and whether steps will be taken for the immediate commencement of relief works in this district?
MR. J. MORLEYI have received the Resolution in question. The condition of the people in the various parts of this Union has been frequently inquired into, and works have been established in several divisions of the Union. There is only one division out of 27 in the Union in which the poor rate is 5s. 10d.; in the others the rate averages about 3s. The Guardians propose to distribute only a very small quantity of seed potatoes, the principal reason for this being, I think, that they were unable to collect a large proportion of former seed loans. The Local Government Board have asked the Guardians to reconsider the matter, and pointed out that the small occupiers ought to be given the facilities provided by the Act for cropping their lands.
§ MR. MACNEILLasked whether the right hon. Gentleman was aware that there was great dissatisfaction in the district in reference to the cursory and imperfect system of inspection, and that it had been denounced as an expensive one, and that the inspectors, owing to their flying visits, were called the "tandem-driven inspectors"?
MR. J. MORLEYsaid, he did not think the description a good one, but he knew, from conversation with these two gentlemen, that they had taken every possible means—all the means that rational men could devise—to ascertain the position of the district. He should have an opportunity of seeing these gentlemen before many days were over, and he would sec if any further inquiries could be made.
§ MR. MACNEILLasked whether the right hon. Gentleman did not know, not as a matter of opinion, but as a matter of fact, that the inspectors should consult the priests of the locality?
MR. J. MORLEYsaid, these two gentlemen did consult the priests, and he had given instructions that in all cases they were to do so.