§ MR. DILLONI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been directed to the following paragraph in a 59 letter of Sir Thomas F. Brady, published in the Dublin papers of Saturday last—
The amount contributed, however, falls far short of what is absolutely required to give the small pittance to the 10,000 children at present on the list. The Mansion House Committee at their last meeting voted another £450 for the next fortnight's supply of bread to these poor children, but where the money for the following fortnight is to come from I know not. These children absolutely require to be fed till at any rate the 1st August, or non-attendance at school for the greater number must be the result;whether the allowance alluded to is one pennyworth per child, and in some of the districts one halfpennyworth of bread; and whether the Government will take any measures to secure that the supply of bread to the children is not stopped for want of means?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI have only just received the notice, and have not had time to make the calculations necessary to answer the first part of the Question. Where the circumstances properly call for relief I have no doubt that relief will be given; if not, I shall be prepared to cause inquiry to be made into any specific cases that may be brought before me.