§ * MR. O'MALLEYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to the resolution passed by the Galway County Council requesting the Local Government Board to make an Order putting Section 13 of The Local Government Act, 1898, into operation in the electoral divisions of Kilcummin, Killanin, and Sellerna, for the purpose of relieving exceptional distress; whether he is aware that the Local Government Board notified to the guardians that they would be prepared to make the Order sought for on 3rd April, but subsequently declared that they would only contribute 50 per cent, of the cost of such works; and whether, in view of the fact that in the neighbouring union of Oughterard 75 per cent. of the coat is defrayed by the Government, he will take the necessary steps to see that on all these relief works the Government will make itself responsible for the 75 per cent. originally promised; and, if not, will he state upon what grounds there is a differentiation between the Government share of the cost of these works in the districts referred to and the Oughterard district.
§ MR. ATKINSONThe facts are as stated, save that at no time did the Government promise to contribute 75 per cent. of the relief expenditure in Galway union. The Government contributions 76 are fixed according to the ability of each Union to bear the cost of relief measures. The valuation per head of the population in the Galway and Oughterard Union is £1 17s. 7d. and 18s. 0d. respectively.