§ MR. KENDAL O'BRIEN (Tipperary, Mid.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that Mr. Jeremiah O'Dwyer, District Councillor, of Mohorough, Cappawhite, county Tipperary, who farms ninety acres of land, was refused a gun-carrying licence by the local resident magistrate, Mr. H. Turner; whether he can state the grounds of the magistrate's refusal; and whether, seeing that it is usual, except in very special cases, to give farmers the means of protecting, their crops from vermin by the use of firearms, and that O'Dwyer's application has been supported by at least one of the local justices, he will advise the resident magistrate to grant the licence in this case.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) I understand that the fact is as stated in the first part of the Question. A discretionary power in regard to the issue of licences under the Peace Preservation Act is vested in the resident magistrate, who is the licensing officer for the district, and it would be contrary to practice to state the grounds of the magistrate's refusal in any case. I presume there were special reasons why the licence should not be granted in this case; and I am not aware of any reason why the discretion vested in the resident magistrate should be interfered with.