HC Deb 17 February 1898 vol 53 c870
MR. HAYDEN (Roscommon, S.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland is he aware that for about 20 years the people of Mullin-gar have been endeavouring to get a supply of water for the town; that the sanitary authority has four times, at considerable expense to the ratepayers, prepared schemes to afford the required supply; and that two of these schemes were sanctioned by the Local Government Board, and afterwards confirmed by Parliament; whether he is aware that the people of Mullingar have, by a large majority, petitioned the Local Government Board to insist on the carrying out of the necessary work under the powers conferred by the Public Health Amendment Act of 1896; and whether he can state why these powers are not availed of?

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

The facts are generally as stated in the first paragraph. It appears that the town is about equally divided on the question of the relative merits of the two schemes which have been before the Guardians, and this, no doubt, accounts for the great difficulty experienced by them in arriving at a satisfactory decision in the matter. The Local Government Board have already addressed the Guardians as to their duties in providing a water supply under the provisions of the Public Health Act, 1896, and the Board will be prepared, should a representation be made to them under the 15th Section of the Act, to consider whether they should not exercise the powers vested in them by that Act.