§ MR. J. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether his attention has been directed to the case of the Ballinamallard, County Fermanagh, Loan Fund Society against James M'Gee and others, under the Loan Fund Act (6 and 7 Vic. c. 91), heard at last Irvinestown Petty Sessions, where Mr. Jones, resident magistrate, calculated that the borrower (M'Gee) had 508 paid in interest and fines £7 odd on a £3 loan that had been out for 10 years; and (2) whether any steps will be taken to protect borrowers like M'Gee from the excessive charges of these Loan Societies, constituted under the Charitable Act aforesaid?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe facts are correctly stated in the first paragraph. The case of this borrower is an illustration of the system that has prevailed in many loan funds in Ireland of renewing loans which are altogether or partly in arrear as to repayment. The matter was fully investigated by the recent Committee of Inquiry into the working and management of loan funds, and the Loan Fund Board have now under consideration the Report of the Committee.