§ MR. MCKILLOP (Armagh, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether ratepayers of Poyntzpass, County Armagh, have sent two petitions to the Local Government Board for Ireland praying that a sworn inquiry might be held by them into the defective sewerage of the village; and whether, seeing that both the local sanitary officer and the Local Government inspector have reported upon and condemned the system so far back as 1904, and that there has, in fact, been an outbreak of scarlatina in the district, he will take any steps to secure an inquiry into the matter with a view to a remedy being applied.
THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. BIRRBLL,) Bristol, N.The facts, speaking generally, are as stated in the Question. The representations made to the Local Government Board did not, however, comply with the requirements of Section 15 of the Public Health (Ireland) Act. 1896, and the Board were, therefore, unable to take action on them. The requirements of the section have been explained to the petitioners, who have, however, taken no further action.