MR. C. MACVEIGH (Donegal, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the attention of the Local Government Board has been called to the application of James Deveney, of Lismonaghan, Letterkenny Union, county Donegal, Ireland, and for whom the rural district council selected a site for a labourer's cottage on the farm of Robert Wylie, of Carrygauley, which site was visited and approved by the Local Government Board inspector during an inquiry held in Letterkenny in November, 1907; whether he is aware that the farmer, Wylie, brought an action against Deveney at Quarter 1153 Sessions, which was defended by the rural council, and Judge Cook gave Deveney the site by giving judgment in his favour; if he can state why the arbitrator, in the face of the approval of the inspector and the judgment of the Court, has failed or refused to give the site to Deveney; and will he direct that steps be taken to provide a cottage for this man.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe facts are substantially as stated in the Question. The arbitrator referred to was, however, appointed merely to determine the compensation to be paid for the plots against the taking of which no petitions had been presented. The particular site in question is the subject of an opposed order, and in this case an arbitrator must be separately appointed unless the council and the parties concerned can come to terms as to the amount of compensation. In the opinion of the Local Government Board such a settlement should be feasible upon the lines of the arbitrator's reward in the unopposed cases.