§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant 1475 of Ireland whether he can now make a full statement as to what has been done by the Congested Districts Board in the matter of stopping works; whether their action has been due to want of funds; and what steps the Government propose to take in the matter.
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. BIRRELL, Bristol, N.)In the year ending 31st March last the Congested Districts Board expended about £97,000 upon the improvement of estates purchased by them. I indicated, in my reply to the hon. Member's Question of 4th March last, that, owing to want of funds the operations of the Board in this direction would necessarily have to be restricted in the present financial year, the main reason for the lack of funds being that the Board's income from the resale of estates had fallen considerably short of their anticipations. For the current year the Congested Districts Board could provide for improvement works the sum of £33,000 only, and this after borrowing from the Board of Works to the full extent of their powers. Of this £33,000, the sum of £18,000 has been expended up to 30th June, and the remaining £15,000 will not, in the ordinary course, be available for some months. The Board have been gradually reducing the number of men employed on improvement works, and in the last two or three weeks upwards of 1,000 men have been disemployed, leaving about 150 men still at work. I fully recognise that the complete suspension of the Board's improvement works, from whatever cause it may have arisen, is undesirable, and I have been in communication with the Treasury on the subject, and the Treasury have agreed to make a loan to the Board within reasonable limits, in order that the Board may proceed with the works until they are again in funds. I am in communication with the Board as to the works which it is possible and desirable to carry on, and the amount of the loan which will be required for the purpose. It will, as I indicated on 4th March, be impossible to introduce legislation providing for an increase of the Board's statutory income apart from the legislation which must be adopted as a result of the Report of 1476 the Royal Commission on Congestion. The question of the legislation on that subject to be introduced in the coming autumn is at present engaging the consideration of the Government.
§ MR. DILLONWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that this is a singularly favourable season for carrying on these works in Ireland—a season such as only occurs at intervals of two or three years?
§ MR. BIRRELLYes, I will point that out in my report to the Treasury.
§ MR. BIRRELLI do not know what the state of congestion is there.