HC Deb 23 January 1902 vol 101 cc687-8
MR. KENDAL O'BRIEN (Tipperary, Mid.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he is aware that in the case of the applications at the recent inquiry under the Labourers' Acts for Thurles Rural District only 35 out of 93 put forward were recommended by the Local Government Board inspector; that three more of the 35 were subsequently rejected by the Privy Council; and, seeing that out of these three cases the reason for which the Privy Council was asked to reject the applications in two, namely, the cases in which John Kennedy and George Cooke were the occupiers, was that there was no tillage carried on in the farms, whether steps will be taken to amend the Labourers' Acts to meet such cases as these.

MR. WYNDHAM

Thirty-eight cottages were recommended by the Inspector. So far as the Local Government Board are aware nothing transpired at the hearing of the Appeals by the Privy Council which could be regarded as conveying an impression that grass farms were exempt from the operation of the Labourers' Acts. It does not appear therefore, that there is any necessity for an amendment of the law as suggested.

In reply to a question by Mr. O'Shee,

MR. WYNDHAM added

Of the fifty-five cases rejected by the Inspector eight were cases of unsuitable sites, in twelve the alleged insufficiency of accommodation was not known to exist, and in twenty-seven others the applicants did not attend to support their claims, and there was no satisfactory evidence otherwise.