HC Deb 18 March 1895 vol 31 cc1259-62
MR. J. GILHOOLY

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will again inquire into the destitute condition of the people in some of the electoral divisions of the Castletown Berehaven Union, especially those who reside on the seaboard between Glengariffe, who derive no benefit from the fishing industry, but who depend solely on the produce of their small holdings for subsistence?

MR. J. MORLEY

The Local Government Board's Inspector will again visit this district in the course of a day or two, and report further on the condition of the people.

MR. W. REDMOND (Clare, E.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he has received a Resolution passed by the Ennis Board of Guardians regarding the distress in the vicinity of Ennis; and whether it is intended by the Government to carry out the suggestion of the Guardians by the opening of some relief works?

MR. J. MORLEY

I have received a copy of the Resolution referred to. Inquiries have been made on various occasions into the condition of the people in the Ennis Union, and, also into the statements contained in the Resolution; but the Local Government Board, upon the information before them, are unable to report that it is at present necessary to open relief works in the district. It is observed that the Resolution of the Guardians refers chiefly to the distress amongst labourers, and these, I understand, are now likely to find employment, as the spring work has commenced.

MR. J. FINUCANE

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will cause inquiries to be made into the condition of the labourers in the district of Skule, Croom Union, County Limerick, where hundreds of families are collected together in less than a square mile of cutaway bog, and are suffering great destitution; and whether it would be possible to provide some employment as a relief work by completing a road through this bog, a portion of which has been approved of at the road session held at Ballyneety?

MR. J. MORLEY

The Local Government Board inform me that they are not aware of the existence of unusual destitution in this locality, or of the prevalence of distress which cannot be met out of the resources of the ordinary Poor Law. The Croom Union is very well circumstanced, with moderate rates, and a very high valuation per head of the population, and the numbers on outdoor relief is now less than at the corresponding period last year.

MR. J. TULLY (Leitrim, S.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that at the relief works which have been started in the Benbrack Division, in the Bawnboy Union, a number of labourers from the adjoining division of Cloverhill, in South Leitrim, were refused work because they lived about a quarter of a mile within the boundary of the county of Leitrim; and whether he will give directions to have relief works opened in the electoral divisions of Bawnboy Union, which are situated in South Leitrim, so as to afford employment to the people, who are in a state of acute distress, and willing to work at the low rate of wages paid at the relief works?

MR. J. MORLEY

I understand that the persons referred to were not refused work because they lived in another county, but because the necessity for their employment was not considered to have arisen. It is, however, intended to employ a number of these people very shortly upon the works in question.

MR. A. O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that Termon, in Donegal, where he proposes to give employment to the Glenvar fishermen, is 12 miles distant from Glenvar; whether the men are expected to travel that distance daily, or are to be allowed anything for lodging over and above the small weekly pay; whether he can find employment for them nearer their own homes; and whether he is aware that the fishermen, have asked for the erection of a boat-slip in Bunnington Bay, Glenvar, and for the construction of a breakwater at Newbridge, the latter project having the approval of the Congested Districts Board, which Board is, however, unable to undertake the work from want of funds?

MR. J. MORLEY

I now learn that the relief work at Termon is not conveniently situated for the employment of the Glenvar fishermen, and accordingly a work will be opened for these people nearer their homes. I cannot undertake to say that either of the particular works referred to by my hon. Friend will be selected, but they have been brought under the notice of the engineer in charge.

Mr. J. GILHOOLY

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he has received a report from the Local Government Board for Ireland as to the distress in some of the electoral divisions of the Bantry Union; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take to alleviate it?

MR. J. MORLEY

The Local Government Board's Inspector has recently visited the Bantry Union, and made careful inquiries as to the condition of the people. He reports that he has not discovered the existence of any wide spread destitution in the locality, nor has any representation been made to him that abnormal distress prevails; with the milder weather and the improvement in the fishing, the Board have come to the opinion the people in the congested parts of this Union will be able to tide over their present difficulties, but the Inspector will visit the district again very shortly, and will report at once if exceptional measures are required to supplement the resources of the Poor Law.

MR. GILHOOLY

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he has received a report as to distress existing in some portions of the Schull Unions; and whether he will take immediate steps to find work for the people who are destitute.

MR. J. MORLEY

The Local Government Board's Inspector has frequently visited this Union, and, so recently as the 8th instant, visited the district of Goleen. The Inspector states that the general harvest was a good one, and that the Guardians have not thought it necessary to apply for a seed potato loan, which is, of course, an indication. The Inspector will exercise a careful supervision over this Union, but at present its circumstances are not such as to necessitate the laying out of relief works.