§ MR. JOHN O'CONNOR (Kildare, N.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state how many Relief of Distress (Ireland) Acts have been passed since the year 1879 to the present time; in how many years 885 has relief been given to persons threatened by famine within that period; what has been the total increase in the taxation of Ireland for Imperial and local purposes within the same period; and has there been any remission of taxation within the areas so relieved under circumstances of distress that called for the application of such Belief of Distress Acts.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) Since 1879 the following Acts have been passed: Relief of Distress (Ireland) Act, 1880, Relief of Distress (Ireland) Amendment Act, 1880, Relief of Distressed Unions Ireland) Act, 1883, Poor Relief (Ireland) Act, 1886, Outdoor Relief (Ireland) Act, 1895, Outdoor Relief (Ireland) Act, 1898, Outdoor Relief (Ireland) Act, 1897. In addition to these measures Acts dealing with seed supply and public loans were passed during the period mentioned. Exceptional measures for the relief of distress were adopted in the following years: 1879–80,1885–6,1890–91,1894–5, 1897–8, 1904–5. The amount raised in 1879 by rates on property by local authorities was £2,619,183, and in 1903–4, £2,993,308, showing an increase of, £374,125. These figures include municipal rates. For particulars concerning Imperial taxation I beg to refer the hon. Member to Parliamentary Paper, Cd. 233, of 1905. As regards the final part of the Question, except in so far as the Government made grants in relief of local rates, no remission of ordinary taxation was allowed within the areas affected by distress.