MR. FIELDI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, seeing that in the cities of Great Britain the revenue derivable from carriage and car licences is available to their respective corporations, he will take measures to have this system extended to the city of Dublin.
§ MR. ATKINSON (for Mr. G. W. BALFOUR)Hackney vehicles are placed under the control of the Commissioner of Police in Dublin by the Act 16 & 17. Viet. cap. 112, and Section 6 of this Act directs that the duty levied on these vehicles shall be applied towards the expenses of the force. The constitution of the Dublin Metropolitan Police is similar to that of the London Metropolitan Police, in which 937 the same rule prevails as to the appropriation of receipts for hackney carriage licences. Moreover, in the case of neither of these forces is there local control. It is true that in other cities in England, where the control of hackney vehicles is in the hands of the local authorities, the revenue derived from vehicles is paid to these authorities for municipal purposes, but it must be borne in mind that in these cities a much larger proportion of the cost of the police is paid from local rates than is the case in Dublin.
MR. T. M. HEALYIs it not the fact that since the right hon. Gentleman came into office the Irish Office have insisted on putting in a local Bill a provision affecting hackney carriages which has brought in an additional revenue of £700 a year?
§ MR. ATKINSONI must ask for notice.