§ MR. P. A. M'HUGH (Leitrim, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he is aware that a Congested Districts Committee, consisting of members of all creeds and classes in the district, has been formed in North Leitrim; has he received a series of resolutions, adopted at a meeting of that Committee on 25th Janury last, suggesting relief works of a practical nature and likely to prove permanently beneficial; have any of the suggestions of the Committee been adopted by the Irish Government; and will all the recommendations of the Committee receive immediate attention with the view of providing employment wherever it may be urgently needed in North Leitrim?
MR. J. MORLEYI understand that the resolutions were received by the Congested Districts Board, and will be considered at their next meeting. On the general subject, however, of the necessity of starting Relief Works in North Leitrim, I am afraid I cannot add anything to my reply to the hon. Member's previous question of the 12th inst.
§ MR. P. A. M'HUGHI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he has observed that the Manorhamilton Board of Guardians, at their meeting on Thursday last, unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the Government to start Relief Works in the Union, with a view of saving from starvation small farmers and their families who cannot be given outdoor relief from the rates, and who are completely destitute owing to the failure of the potato crop; and will he give orders to have the resolution of the Guardians carried into effect?
MR. J. MORLEYI have seen the resolution referred to in the question. The Local Government Board inform me that the Manorhamilton Union is well circumstanced financially, and that the 1250 numbers on relief are less than at the corresponding period of last year. The condition of the people does not appear to render the opening of Relief Works necessary at present, but if the Guardians desire to be allowed to relax the restrictions in the granting of outdoor relief in order to meet sporadic cases of distress, they will be empowered to do so.
§ MR. P. A. M'HUGHI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he has yet received the Report of the Local Government Board Inspector on the condition of Ballinaglera, County Leitrim; and what steps, if any, have been taken to meet the distress prevailing in that parish?
MR. J. MORLEYI have been furnished with a copy of the Report made by the Board's Inspector on the condition of the people in this district. It would appear from the Report that although the people in portions of the district are in somewhat straitened circumstances owing to the partial failure of the potato crop, there is not at present acute distress in the locality, and that the resources of the Poor Law in this Union, which is well circumstanced financially, will he able to deal with any distress likely to arise in the spring.