§ MR. MURPHY (Kerry, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that, owing to the small amount allowed for agricultural grant in some unions, a burden has been imposed on the ratepayers of such unions; is he aware of the circumstances in such unions at the time at which the amount of the grant was fixed; and, seeing that representations have been made to the Local Government Board in the case of the Killarney Union disclosing the burden inflicted on the ratepayers of that union in consequence of the method adopted in fixing the amount payable for the agricultural grant to them, whether he will take steps for a readjustment of the amounts to be paid in future for such agricultural grant.
§ MR. ATKINSONThe agricultural grant relieves the ratepayers of a burden equal to one-half the rates in the standard year. The basis on which the grant to Killarney, as to other Unions, was fixed, is defined in the Local Government Act of 1898, and the method adopted in the making of the calculations is explained in a Paper presented to Parliament in 1899. The Board was fully cognisant of the circumstances in each union at the time the amount of the grant was fixed. With regard to the concluding part of the Question, it is true that the Guardians have recently represented that the grant to Killarney Union is inadequate, but it is equally true that in September, 1900, the Guardians expressed their satisfaction at the amount of the grant. It is not the intention of the Government to re-apportion the grants over the unions in Ireland.