§ CAPTAIN DONELAN (Cork, E.)On behalf of the honourable Member for North Cork, I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether his attention has been called to the correspondence between the Local 1212 Government Board and the Mallow Board of Guardians respecting the improvement scheme for the erection of additional labourers' cottages in the union; (2) is he aware that of the sites for 33 cottages sanctioned by the local authority, the Local Government Board inspector, Mr. Richard Bourke, objected to all but nine; also that the Board of Guardians state that the greater number of the reasons given by the inspector for rejecting the sites are contrary to fact; and (3) whether, in view of the great need for decent cottages in the union, and seeing that on a former occasion, when the Guardians called for it, a re-inspection was granted, the Local Government Board will order a re-inspection of the sites rejected by Mr. Richard Bourke.
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. ATKINSON,) Londonderry), N.In the absence, through indisposition, of my right honourable Friend the Chief Secretary, perhaps I may be allowed to answer the questions addressed to him. The reply to the first and second paragraphs is in the affirmative. The Local Government Board have carefully considered the circumstances of each of the cases mentioned by the Guardians, and they see no reason for a re-inspection of the sites. A re-inspection could only affect the few cases in which the cottages were rejected solely on the ground of the unsuitability of the sites selected, and not for other reasons, and the re-inspection of the sites stated in the question to have taken place subsequent to a former inquiry was made wholly on account of sites reported against on the ground of the absence of a proper water supply. 165 cottages have already been authorised in this Union, and as a result of this inquiry nine more have been recommended by the inspector.
§ CAPTAIN DONELANOn behalf of the honourable Member for North Cork, I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the attention of the Local Government Board has been directed to the report of the Local Government Inspector, Mr. Richard Bourke, in respect to the latest proposed scheme for the erection of labourers' cottages in the Mallow Union, in which he states that four sites on the lands of Carrigacunna (East Division of 1213 Monanimy), upwards of 2,000 acres in extent, were rejected on the grounds that the owner objected that the sites are too near his entrance gate, whereas they are 300 yards distant at least, and the present cottages, which have been condemned by the medical officer as unfit for human habitation are much nearer to the entrance gate; and, whether, in view of these circumstances the Local Government Board will order a reconsideration of the matter?
§ MR. ATKINSONI am informed that the sites selected for the erection of the cottages in question are about 200 yards distant from the owner's gate lodge and that the owner objected to the acquisition of the land on the ground that the erection of cottages on these sites would interfere with his amenity of residence. The Local Government Board concur in opinion with the inspector that the objection is reasonable, and see no sufficient reason for reconsidering the matter. The present cottages, condemned as unfit for habitation, are situate, I understand, not between the proposed sites and the property mentioned, but in an opposite direction, and on a different property.