§ Captain CRAIG (Down, E.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that 386 labourers cottages have been built in the Rathkeale rural district at a total cost of £62,922; whether he can state how many are unoccupied, and how many applications for further cottages in that district have been lodged; whether complaint was made by nine of the largest ratepayers in the district on the grounds that several of the district councillors had a pecuniary interest in the erection of labourers cottages; whether, as a result of such complaint, two Local Government Board inspectors held a sworn inquiry in October last; and whether he will publish the result 1695 of the inquiry, or state whether any of the officials or members of the rural district council were implicated, and, if any, give their names and state the extent.
§ (Answered by Mr. Bryce.) The figures contained in the first part of the Question are correct. The Local Government Board have ascertained from the clerk of the rural district council that three labourers cottages are at present unoccupied, and that applications for ten new cottages have been received. A complaint to the effect stated in the Question was received by the Local Government Board, and an inquiry on oath into the matter was held in October last by two of the Board's inspectors. The inspectors' Report is at present under the consideration of the Local Government Board, and the result will be communicated to the rural district council as soon as possible.