§ MR. MAURICE HEALY (Cork)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that, where boards of guardians have acquired lands on lease for the purposes of the Labourers Acts, they have no power to purchase the landlord's interest in cases where it is for sale; and that, in consequence of this, where the landlord's estate is being sold to tenants either under section 40 of the Land Act, 1896, or otherwise under the Land Purchase Acts, it is often very difficult to deal with the small scattered plots held by the guardians as tenants; and whether he will take steps to confer on the guardians power to purchase in such cases?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe question of giving power to the guardians to purchase plots already acquired on lease is one which the Government are prepared to consider in connection, with the Local Government Bill.