HC Deb 13 July 1900 vol 85 cc1471-2
MR WILLIAM ABRAHAM (Cork County, N.E.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that, at the last meeting of the Cork County Council, the Law Adviser informed the council that no moneys could be spent on the maintenance of certain roads in Mallow Rural District, until the district council formulated a proposal which should be approved at the next quarterly meeting of the county council in October, the result of which would be that these roads would be left derelict for over three months, and become both a danger and a nuisance; and will the Local Government Board, in view of these circumstances, consider the necessity of issuing an order to hand over the charge of the roads to the county surveyor, pending the formulation of a proposal and its acceptance by the county council?

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

As regards the first paragraph, I stated yesterday that I understood the failure in this case arose from the fact that a sufficient number of members to constitute a quorum was not present at the meeting of the county council on the 17th May, which meeting had been duly appointed for the consideration of tenders for the maintenance of the roads in question. The Local Government Board are advised that they have no power to issue an Order as suggested in the second paragraph.

MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAM

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there can be no meeting of the county council before October? Will it not be a serious state of things for these roads to be left un repaired till then I Cannot the Local Government Board act now as they did on a former occasion?

MR. G. W. BALFOUR

I will make further inquiries; but I think there must be some mistake on the part of the hon. Member. I am instructed we have no power to issue such an Order.

MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAM

Well, I will furnish the right hon. Gentleman with a copy of the Order made by the Local Government Board.