MR. C. MACVEIGH (Donegal, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state what is the cause of the delay in erecting forty labourers' cottages in the Letterkenny union, East Donegal, under Scheme C, that was agreed to and inquired into by an inspector in February, 1906; whether he can say why the rent charged for the cottages they have built are higher than in any other union in Ireland; and whether he will state what steps he will take, and when, to force the guardians to provide cottages for forty families that are now living in unsanitary hovels and some are without a house of any kind.
MR. BERRELLThe loan in this case was sanctioned by the Local Government Board in April, 1907, and an instalment of £1,600 was then issued, but the rural district council do not appear to have since made much progress in the matter. The scheme authorises the taking of the sites for the cottages by agreement and not compulsorily, and possibly the council have not yet been able to arrange terms of purchase. The Local Government Board are about to communicate with the council as to the delay. The rents of the cottages already provided, namely, 1s. 6d. to 1s. 9d. a week, are somewhat in excess of the rents usually charged, but are not higher than in some other unions.