HC Deb 22 April 1898 vol 56 cc796-7
CAPTAIN DONELAN (Cork, E.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether he is aware that the Local Government Board have declined to sanction a resolution adopted by the Midleton (county Cork) Board of Guardians in December last, granting a temporary reduction of threepence per week in the rental of the labourers' cottages in the Union, owing to the failure of the potato crop, on the ground that they have no power to give any such sanction; (2) whether it is a tact that, by a letter, dated 31st October, 1890, the Local Government Board sanctioned a similar reduction for the year 1890–91; and (3) whether any, and if any what, alteration has been made in the law regulating the action of the Local Government Board in such matters since the date of the above-mentioned letter?

THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ICELAND (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds, Central

The Local Government Board did not decline to sanction the resolution of the guardians referred to in the first paragraph; the Board merely pointed out that there is no power vested in them, by statute or otherwise, to sanction any reduction of the rents specified in the letting agreements in such cases, and that if the guardians choose to adopt the course proposed they must do so entirely on their own responsibility. The Board did not sanction a similar reduction made in 1890, although they stated they saw no objection to it. It is open to the guardians to make the reduction on their own responsibility, subject to any review by the auditor, and there has been no alteration of the law as suggested in the third paragraph.

CAPTAIN DONELAN

Did the Local Government Board exceed their powers in 1891?

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

No, Sir; they did not exceed their powers. They merely said that so far as they were concerned they saw no objection to the course proposed.

MR. D. KILBRIDE (Galway, N.)

If the local guardians reduce the rental of the cottages threepence a week, will the auditor surcharge them with the amount?

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

That is a question entirely for the auditor.