§ MR. MCVEIGH (Donegal, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the inquiry shortly to be held in the Strabane Union as to the administration of the Labourers Acts in Strabane No. 2 Rural District, and its scope, limited to any neglect made by the clerk in carrying out his duties under the Acts; whether he is aware that the Local Government Board has refused to extend the scope of the inquiry so as to include the delay on the part of the council in considering applications lodged with them by labourers for cottages, in some instances four years ago, which were not considered till. March last; and, if so, whether he will take steps to secure that the question of delay, and all matters bearing on it, shall be fully inquired into.
MR. BRYCEThe inquiry referred to in the Question relates to the conduct of the clerk personally in regard to the discharge of the various duties falling on him as clerk of the union, clerk of the council, and executive sanitary officer, and will not be limited, as is assumed by the Question, to any neglect of duty in the carrying out of the Labourers Acts. The general question of the administration of these Acts by the rural district council will, of course, receive the attention of the Board in due time, in pursuance of the powers conferred on the Board by Section 9 of the Labourers Act of 1906, which comes into operation tomorrow.