HC Deb 02 November 1908 vol 195 cc791-2
MR. WILLIAM REDMOND

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if he has received any representations from the Ennis Distress Committee as to the unemployment question; and whether he will see that the Ennis Committee receives a fair share of the Government grant promised this winter.

THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. BIRRELL,) Bristol, N.

The Local Government Board for Ireland have received an application from Ennis for a grant from the unemployed fund, but the application has not yet been submitted to the Treasury, pending receipt of further information from the distress committee. I understand that the Treasury do not consider that sufficient information as to the actual requirements is yet available to enable them to make an allocation of a fixed maximum grant to Ireland. Meantime every application is judged on its merits and with due regard to relative necessities of the different localities. The Local Government Board must, when submitting applications from Ireland, satisfy the Treasury in each case that the distress and the local circumstances attending it are such as to enable a grant to be made within the terms of the Unemployed Act. So far the Ennis Committee have not supplied the Board with any particulars which could satisfy the Treasury as to this.

MR. WILLIAM REDMOND

Will the right hon. Gentleman see that the Irish Local Government Board supply the Ennis and other local authorities with full information as to what is required of them?

MR. BIRRELL

Certainly.

MR. JOYCE (Limerick)

Must distress committees be formed in every case to entitle the local authorities to a grant, or can local authorities set in motion other machinery?

MR. BIRRELL

I think the rule is that there must be distress committees.

MR. NANNETTI (Dublin, College Green)

Has not the President of the Local Government Board stated in this House that of the £10,000 allocated to Ireland for the relief of distress only £5,000 was apportioned last year? Is he also aware—

*MR. SPEAKER

Notice should be given of those questions.