§ MR. M'GOVERN (Cavan, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland is he aware that the caretaker of Dawra court house, in the county of Cavan, refused to allow the members of the Enniskillen Rural District Council No. 2 to hold its last quarterly meeting in the petty sessions room, although the county council of the county of Cavan pays a rent of £10 a year for this house; and can he state whether the county council of a county or a district council is entitled to use the court house or petty sessions rooms for the transaction of their business when not required for the administration of justice.
§ MR. WYNDHAMSection 72, Sub-section 3, of the Local Government Act, 1898, provides that—
except so far as the sheriff, or the justices' may require for the administration of justice' or the discharge of his or their duties, the use of any court house, sessions house, or other county building under his or their custody or control, the county council may use the same for the purpose of the execution of their duties.The county council is thus entitled to the use of the court house or sessions house for the execution of its duties when the same can in the judgment of the sheriff or justices be done without interference with the administration of justice. The district councils have no right to the use of any court house or sessions house.