§ MR. JAMES O'CONNOR (Wicklow, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that a sworn inquiry was, twelve months ago, held in Rathdrum (county Wicklow) Union into a scheme for the erection of labourers' 457 cottages, and that no arbitrator has yet been sent down by the Local Government Board; that an inquiry into a second scheme has been held, and that a third inquiry is pending; and whether he will advise the Local Government Board to remove the block in the way of erecting labourers' cottages in the Rathdrum Union by sending an arbitrator to complete the necessary preliminaries.
§ MR. WYNDHAMA Provisional Order was made by the Local Government Board on the 28th February last confirming the scheme which formed the subject of inquiry in July, 1900. An arbitrator can only be appointed upon the application of the district council, and no such application has yet been made. A second inquiry was held in March last; a third inquiry is not pending. The responsibility for delay in appointing an arbitrator does not rest with the Local Government Board.