§ MR. KENDAL O'BRIEN (Tipperary, Mid)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary 1053 to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state what is the total number of applications under the Labourers (Ireland) Acts for cottages and plots and for allotments made since 1883, specifying the number of applications under each schedule in the representation forms, bow many of these applications were rejected by the Local Government Board on the recommendation of their inspectors and by the Privy Council on appeal, specifying the number rejected in respect of each schedule.
§ MR. WYNDHAMInformation in respect to the different schedules of the forms of applications for cottages could only be obtained from the clerks of district councils, and this would entail an enormous amount of labour upon these officials without any commensurate result. The total number of cottages applied for to the Local Government Board from the inception of the Labourers Acts to the 31st March, 1899, was 31,742, of which 16,056 were, finally authorised to be built. The number of cottages rejected by the Privy Council was 560, and of the remaining 15,126 cases it would be impossible to say how many were invalid or how many were rejected by the Local Government Board without an examination of every scheme, which would occupy several weeks.
§ MR. KENDAL O'BRIENput a long supplementary question which was inaudible in the press gallery, and Mr. SPEAKER warned him that he was exceeding the limits of such questions.
§ MR. O'SHEE (Waterford, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether at the local inquiries under the Labourers (Ireland) Acts the inspectors of the Local Government. Board, as a general rule, pass all applications for additional half-acres by labourers who have already got one half acre under said Acts, and recognise no ground of objection except the neglect of the district council to endeavour to arrive at an agreement to acquire the additional plots before seeking compulsory powers; and whether the desirability of taking this step beforehand will be pointed out by circular to the district councils.
§ MR. WYNDHAMIt is not, I am informed, a fact that all applications for additional half-acres are, as a general rule, approved of if it is shown that all reasonable efforts have been made to acquire the additional plots by agreement. On the contrary, various other matters arise for consideration in such cases, for example, the tenant's avocation and his care of the existing plot, the size of the farm from which the plot is to be taken, etc. In fact, it is on grounds such as these that any applications for additional half-acres which have been thrown out have been rejected, and not on the ground mentioned in the question.
§ MR. O'SHEEI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state what amount, remains unexpended in each county of Munster and Leinster, out of the Exchequer contribution of £40,000 per annum granted under the Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act, 1891, in aid of the rates leviable in respect of cottages provided since 1891 under the Labourers (Ireland) Acts.
§ MR. WYNDHAMNo portion of the grant in question remained unissued in either Munster or Leinster at the date of the last distribution, which took place in March, 1900.