§ MR. J. P. FARRELL (Cavan, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland of Ireland, is it the intention of the Government to introduce into any Measure dealing with 1469 the Amendment of the Irish Poor Law Acts a clause to cheapen and expedite the working of the Labourers' (Ireland) Acts by compelling boards of guardians to consider representations within a certain fixed period after their reception, and to so alter the clauses dealing with the taking of land as to facilitate the transfer and relieve guardians of the necessity of procuring Provisional Orders?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURAny proposals of the nature indicated in the Question could only properly be dealt with by a separate Bill, having for its object the amendment of the existing Labourers Acts. It has already been stated by me on more than one occasion that a Bill for the purpose of amending these Acts is in preparation, but that I cannot make any statement as to its provisions.
§ MR. DONAL SULLIVAN (Westmeath, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) has his attention been drawn to the fact that, at an inquiry under the Labourers' Acts (Ireland), held in Mullingar before Major Rutlege Fair early in January, two applications for cottages in the Clonfad Electoral Division were considered, one of which was granted and the other refused; and that in the case of the refusal the applicant was an evicted tenant; and (2) will he explain what were the grounds upon which Major Fair based the refusal in question?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe facts are as stated in the first paragraph. The proposal to erect the second cottage was not sanctioned, as it would have resulted in placing on a farm the individual who had been previously evicted therefrom, and because it was also held that if this man was in need of a cottage a site should be acquired on the land of his present employer, for whom he has worked for a number of years, and who occupies a large farm.