§ MR. KAVANAGH (Carlow)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Government have yet considered the Report of the Royal Commission on Congestion in Ireland; if so, whether it is intended to carry out the recommendations of the Commission by legislation, and, if so, when; and in the meantime what provisions, if any, have been made to enable the Congested Districts Board to continue their land-purchasing operations.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe Report of the Royal Commission on Congestion in Ireland is under the consideration of the Government, and, as I have already announced, it is proposed to introduce legislation on the subject in the coming autumn. The question of increasing the statutory income of the Congested Districts Board cannot be dealt with apart from that legislation, and consequently the Board cannot in the meantime incur fresh liabilities by proceeding with the purchase of estates generally. The hon. Member, however, will be aware, from my Answer to the hon. Member for East Mayo on 7th instant, that arrangements are under consideration whereby the Board may at once be placed in funds for proceeding with the improvement of estates already purchased.
§ MR. JOHN REDMOND (Waterford)May I ask whether the question of increasing the income of the Congested Districts Board and the question of enabling them to carry on the work for the time being are not entirely distinct questions? And am I right in gathering from the right hon. Gentleman's Answer that, pending the consideration of legislation in the autumn, no provision is to be made to enable the Congested Districts Board to carry on its work in the meantime?
§ MR. BIRRELLWhat is now under consideration is a loan to the Board to enable it to carry on its work in the meantime.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDIts land purchase work?
§ MR. BIRRELLNo, its general work.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDDo the Government intend to suspend the operation of land purchase in the meantime.
§ *MR. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have recently decided to purchase eight large estates on, my advice and there is no reason to increase further their purchases of land within the next few months.
§ MR. CONOR O'KELLY (Mayo, N.)Will this loan enable the Congested Districts Board to purchase selected estates for which negotiations have been going on for the past twelve months?
§ *MR. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board under my advice some months ago agreed to negotiate for the purchase of several very large estates amounting to enormous sums of money. These will be proceeded with. The loan is to enable the Board, pending the consideration of increasing their statutory income, to proceed with improvements.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDWill this loan obviate the threatened dismissal of the workmen under the Board?
§ MR. BIRRELLI cannot quite answer; that Question until the amount of the loan is determined.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDWill steps be taken by the right hon. Gentleman to press upon the Government as a whole the extreme seriousness of the situation if these men are all dismissed and the whole work of the Board brought to a standstill?
§ MR. BIRRELLThe whole object of the loan is to prevent the operations of the Board being brought to a standstill. I am fully alive to the importance of that.