§ MR. J. DEVLINTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state the number of applications for labourers' cottages lodged with the clerk of the Tanderagee Rural District Council, before 7th February, 1907; whether he is aware that the council passed fifteen of the applications and formulated a scheme; that, on inquiry by Mr. Dickinson, the Local Government Board inspector, the number was reduced to five, and will he say what was the reason assigned for this reduction; whether he is aware that disease, and particularly tuberculosis, is prevalent in the district, and was attributed by the medical officer and the inspector, in their evidence, to the bad and insufficient housing accommodation of the labourers; whether the inspector had any knowledge of the district before he held the inquiry; and whether he will make an inquiry into the whole matter.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The number of applications lodged was twenty-nine, and of these the council passed fifteen. The reasons given by the inspector for disallowing ten of the proposed cottages were communicated to the council on 6th March, as follows: In five of the cases the applicants were already living in good houses; in three others the sites selected were unsuitable; in one case the proposed site was on a small holding of five acres; and in the remaining case the applicant was not an agricultural labourer. Evidence to the effect stated in the 855 Question was given by the medical officer, but it does not appear that the inspector expressed any opinion on the subject. So far as the Local Government Board are aware, the district council have not taken exception to the inspector's decision. The question of making a new scheme to provide dwellings for labourers who may be living in insanitary houses is one for the consideration of the council in the first instance.