§ MR. D. SHEEHYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the resolution, of the Gort Board of Guardians at its meeting on the 2nd instant, in which it is shown, by the representations of the local clergy, the secretary of the private relief committee, and a deputation of about 300 seeking employment, that considerable destitution prevails amongst that class of people who cannot legally be relieved from the rates; and, whether he will cause an inspector of the Local Government Board to be sent to the union to inquire into the condition of the class of people indicated, with the view of causing such relief works to be started as would meet the distress?
MR. J. MORLEYI have received a copy of the resolution, in question. The Local Government Board's inspector has visited the district, and reports that the potato crop in the Gort Union compared 1029 favourably with the crop in many other districts in this part of the country. The relieving officers had no cases of able-bodied persons requiring relief in their books, and the Inspector was informed that with a continuance of fine weather it would be difficult to get sufficient labourers to meet the requirements of the district. No abnormal destitution prevails, so I am told, among the small landholders; the Local Government Board, however, will authorise the Guardians to relax the restrictions on outdoor relief for a time in the Union.
In answer to a further question, Mr. J. MORLEY said: All that I am able to say is that the potato crop there compares favourably with that in other places in the country; and all the means that the authorities have of testing the matter show that in this case there is not that special requirement to lead us to take the steps which the hon. Member desires.
§ 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 the proceedings of a large meeting at. Inver, County Donegal, on Sunday 3rd March, presided over by the Rev. P. M'Cafferty, administrator of the parish, in which it was stated that public works in that district were required at once, or that starvation would be the result; whether since the 16th February last, on which date a public letter from the Member for South Donegal appeared in the Freeman's Journal, describing the destitution in this locality, of which he was an eyewitness, any Local Government Board Inspector has visited this district; what is the date of the last and second last visits of a Local Government Board Inspector to Inver, and may his reports, if any, be produced; and whether, having regard to the evidence of distress that has been placed before him in this locality, he will institute immediately relief works?
MR. J. MORLEYThe Local Government Board's Inspector has visited the Donegal union on two occasions since the 16th January, and on the 28th February he made careful inquiries into the condition of the people of Inver. On the 2nd February he was present at the meeting of the Board of Guardians and inquired whether they considered it desirable 1030 to apply for authority to relax the restrictions on outdoor relief, but this the Guardians did not require. Inspectors' reports of this kind have always been regarded as confidential, and it would not be expedient or advisable to make them public. The result of the Inspector's inquiries show that although some families in this locality are in very straitened circumstances, there does not exist, at present, any general or widespread distress which would justify the opening of relief works. The Inspector will again visit the district shortly.
§ MR. J. G. SWIFT MACNEILLI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether he is aware that in the Glencolumbkill, Carrick and Kilcar districts of the County Donegal the persons to whom the superintendence of the relief works is entrusted, such as sergeants of police, returning officers, surveyors and engineers have no power to place the names of applicants on the list of persons to be employed on such works, but that the names of applicants for employment must be first sent to Dublin Castle for approval; and (2) whether, having regard to the great hardship, amounting in many instances to privation, that the delay thus necessarily entailed creates, he will give directions that the local superintendents of relief works be empowered to add to the list of employ—és on these works such persons as they think fit, and that these persons be admitted to employment immediately, pending the ultimate sanction or disapproval of the authorities in Dublin?
MR. J. MORLEYThe regulations governing the mode of obtaining employment on relief works where opened were settled by Government after careful consideration, and have given satisfaction and entailed no unnecessary delay in their working. At all events, no complaints have so far been made in the matter. The onus of determining who shall be eligible for employment on the works devolves upon the officials of the Local Government Board, and the Executive Government in no way interfere with the selections made by these officials. The request contained in the concluding paragraph is not one with which the Government could comply consistently with the policy laid down by them in the matter of relief operations.
§ MR. MACNEILLasked whether the right hon. Gentleman was aware that under the present system men were kept out of employment for three or four days while Dublin was being communicated with. Might these men not have immediate relief pending the sanction of Dublin Castle?
MR. J. MORLEYsaid, the men were not kept out of work; but, even if they were, there was no risk, like dying of starvation. There was the ordinary Poor Law.
§ MR. J. G. SWIFT MACNEILLI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether he has received a copy of the resolutions passed on Wednesday 6th March at a meeting of the people of the parish of Killybegs, over which the Rev. M. Martin, parish priest of Killybegs, presided, urging on him the necessity of introducing public works such as the making of new roads and the repairing of old ones, and the construction of the long-promised pier; (2) whether he is aware that the chairman stated that nearly every day some of his parishioners came to him to ask for a few shillings for the purchase of Indian meal, and publicly called on the Chief Secretary to save his people from starvation by instituting works of a useful and permanent character; (3) when has a Local Government Board Inspector visited and reported on the state of this district, and what is the date of the last previous visit and report of such Inspector; and may his reports be produced; and (4) whether, having regard to the fact that persons with local knowledge absolutely contradict the official information that there is no abnormal distress in this locality, he will cause an independent inquiry to be made, having regard to the positive statement that the people of this district are threatened with death from starvation?
MR. J. MORLEYA newspaper report of the proceedings referred to in the first and second paragraphs has been, brought under my notice. The Inspector visited Killybegs on the 20th February, and will be there again to-morrow, when he will report fully on the condition of the people. It would be contrary to practice to make public the Inspector's reports in matters of this kind, which are regarded as confidential.
§ MR. J. ROCHE (Galway)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether his attention has been directed to a resolution recently passed by the Glenamaddy Poor Law Board, calling on the Government to open much needed relief works in the district, such as drainage, making new roads or repairing old ones, as much distress prevails, and, if some employment be not given to the people, the guardians are confident that they will severely suffer; whether the Government are prepared to have the whole of the union scheduled as distressed; and what steps will be taken to cope with the existing state of affairs.
MR. J. MORLEYI have seen the resolution referred to. The Inspector of the Local Government Board visited this Union on the 12th instant, and, as a result of his inquiries, reports that no abnormal destitution exists there at the present time. The failure of the potato crop has not been so severely felt in this union as in other districts, and the Guardians have not considered it necessary to apply for a seed loan. The inspector will again visit the union in a few days, but, upon the information at present before the Local Government Board, there is no such widespread distress in the union as would justify the opening of relief works.
§ MR. T. CURRAN (Sligo, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he has received a report from the Local Government Board Inspector on the prevalence of distress in the parishes of Coolavin and Curry; whether there is any objection to stating the general purport of such report, and what are the prospects of relief being afforded to those distressed districts?
MR. J. MORLEYThe Local Government Board's Inspector has recently visited the Coolavin district and inquired into the condition of the people, but was unable to find any signs of widespread distress such as to render necessary the opening of relief works. There are no doubt isolated cases of distress, and the Guardians will be authorised to relax the restrictions on outdoor relief to meet any such cases. As regards the district of Curry, the Inspector is inspecting that locality to-day, and will 1033 report without delay the result of his investigation.
§ MR. J. TULLY (Leitrim, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the attention of the Local Government Board has been directed to the very serious distress existing in the Breandrum Division of the Mohill Union, one of the districts scheduled under the Congested Districts Board in South Leitrim; and whether, as the Congested Districts Board have absolutely refused to carry out any works in that district, although Leitrim is one of the counties specially entitled to the expenditure of the funds placed in their hands under the Irish Reproductive Loan Fund Act and Sea Coast Fisheries Fund Act, he will direct that an Inspector of the Local Government Board again visit the district to have inquiries made as to the extreme distress existing amongst the people, and as to the necessity of providing employment by sinking a number of tributaries to the Elsin river, as suggested by the Mohill Board of Guardians at their last meeting?
MR. J. MORLEYThe Local Government Board's Inspector has been instructed to again visit the locality referred to in the question and report on its condition.