§ MR. J. DEVLINI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state the total actual or approximate number of paupers 981 deported from Great Britain to Ireland under the Poor Law Acts, and also the total number so deported since the beginning of the present year; whether the cost of deportation is borne by the British or by the Irish unions; what the average cost of each deportation is; and whether there is any information available showing the length of time that the persons so deported were living in the districts from which they were sent back to Ireland.
§ MR. BIRRELLAccording to a Return to an order of the House Lords, prepared in the year 1878, the number of paupers removed from England and Scotland to Ireland between 1st January, 1876, and 1st July, 1878, was 963. No more recent Return on the subject appears to have been prepared. Cases are reported to the Local Government Board from time to time but they have no complete information as to the number of cases of deportation. A special inquiry would be necessary to obtain the information desired by the hon. Member, and it is doubtful whether trustworthy statistics would be forthcoming if required for a period of many years. The cost of deportation is borne by the union from which the pauper is deported, and the Local Government Board therefore have no information as to what the average cost may be.